Tech Tip: Never Use Personal Devices to Connect to Company Data
By • January 6, 2020 0 529
You’re a hardworking team player who likes to check email and get a few things done after hours — all good! But here’s something you might not know: you should never access company data, file servers or applications through personal devices and home PCs that are not properly monitored by your IT department or provider. Why?
If you and your kids are using a home PC to play games, access Facebook and surf the web, and you’re not diligently updating and monitoring the antivirus software, firewall and security patches on the machine (and who does, honestly?), then there’s a high probability you’re infected with spyware or malware.
Since most malware is designed to operate in total stealth mode, undetected, you won’t know that some hacker is watching you log in to your company’s file server or key cloud application containing critical, sensitive data and capturing your login with a key logger.
Bottom line: Only use company-approved devices that are properly protected and monitored to access company data. If you just can’t help but take work home, let your IT department or provider know, so you can be set up with a secure way to work from home or remotely.
Alan Edwards, CISM, is chief information officer at Computerware, Inc., in Vienna, Virginia.
