Tales from the EnCrypt!

Gather ‘round, WCM… it’s almost Halloween, which means it’s time to regale you with some spooky tales! As we close out National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, join us for some scary stories about protecting data while working remotely: 

Room for one more…

You walk into your home office when you see… your child using your work laptop! 

What happened to all of my spreadsheets?!

With many employees still working from home, there’s always a chance that family, friends, or roommates may want to borrow devices you use for work. Any devices you use to access WCM resources should only be used by you in order to protect institutional data and the passwords you use to access them. When working from home, remember:  

• Never share your institutional passwords with anyone, even family! 
• If you want to limit what your child has access to on a personal device, consider using parental controls. 

You were just minding your own business – but now someone has access to your WCM account! 

Wait, what are these 28 Amazon purchases?

Working outside of our network puts you at increased risk for unauthorized access. Think carefully: how do you normally access WCM resources when you’re not in the office? Are you using a secure network? Do you sometimes work from public spaces, like a nearby café? It’s incredibly easy for someone to access your device or account information if you’re in a public space or using public resources. Always keep these tips in mind:   

• Never use public Wi-Fi if you’re working at a café or shared working space. Use a secure mobile hot spot or AnyConnect VPN to access the internet. 
• Make sure your devices aren’t configured to automatically connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots. Learn how to disable these automated connections. 
• If you’re working in a public space, be mindful of the information you may be inadvertently leaking through phone calls and online meetings. 
• Don’t use public sites and messenger services (e.g., Facebook) to share work information with colleagues. 
• Always use AnyConnect VPN if you’re accessing WCM resources. 

You were leading the most amazing Zoom meeting… until someone crashed your webinar! 

But my slide deck was so good!

Unfortunately, incidents of unauthorized users crashing online meetings – also known as Zoombombing – have only increased with remote work. The last thing you want is your fantastic presentation to be bombarded! Here’s how you can protect your meetings:  

• Don’t share your Zoom links publicly. Consider sharing links via direct email or collecting RSVPs instead. 
• Set a password for your meeting to make sure the right people are in attendance. 
• Assign an alternative host for your meeting that can help you manage participants and any issues that may arise during the meeting. 
• Limit who can share their screens to prevent unauthorized participants from taking over your meeting.  
• Learn more about other things you can do to prevent Zoombombing. 

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, an annual collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure we have the resources you need to maintain your security online. Throughout October, we’ll be sending you tips on protecting your information and avoiding malicious attempts to extract your personal data. See our past tips here.