After more than 3 years of remote work presence at the university and countless virtual meetings, you might think yourself an expert in virtual meeting best practices and computer hygiene. However, as technology evolves, so does a hacker’s skillset. Here are some ways you can make your devices and future meetings more secure.
Securing your devices
- Set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) on any account that permits it (e.g., banking, Amazon, financial, social media sites) and always use strong passwords. In fact, consider using passphrases as they are more difficult to hack.
- Ensure that any device that connects to the internet is running the latest version of its operating system. You will also want to download and run the latest update of any applications you use. Software engineers make improvements that bolster security regularly, so running the latest version will likely create a more secure experience.
- Only use IT administrator-approved applications and software on your work machine. It may be tempting to download a new, snappy application but it’s safer to only use software that has been properly vetted by the university.
- Like your toothbrush, your work machine is only for you to use. So politely tell your neighbor or babysitter or carpet cleaner “no, thank you” if they ask to use it, even for a second.
Securing your meetings
- It’s not unheard of for an unwanted guest to show up during a virtual meeting. One way to eliminate this kind of surprise drop-in is to set up a lobby, where attendees will need to be approved before they are granted access to the meeting space. In Microsoft Teams, you can select the option to have people in your organization bypass the lobby while everyone else will still need to be approved.
- If you are attending a public meeting, be wary of clicking links put into the chat. The great thing about the chat feature is sharing links that can help to clarify the message of the meeting. But, just like in a phishing email, clicking on a malicious link can lead to disaster. Make sure that a link is coming from a trusted member of the organization before clicking on it.
For more tips and tricks on how to become more cyber secure, both at work and at home, visit the Cybersecurity Awareness Month website.