In Episode 13 of the Resilience Rundown podcast, Alex Janas, Field CTO at Commvault, joins host Thomas Bryant, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Commvault. The pair delves into the importance of cybersecurity awareness, especially in the context of remote work. The conversation centered on practical tips and strategies to protect personal and professional data in an increasingly digital and distributed work environment.

The Philosophy of Zero Trust

Alex emphasized a philosophy of considering everything suspect. Whether you’re an employee using a home network or a business managing remote workers, the principle of zero trust is crucial.

This means treating every network, device, and interaction as potentially hostile. For employees, this translates to using trusted VPNs to tunnel all traffic, including DNS, through secure connections. Even if a network requires a password and authentication, it’s essential to remain vigilant, as you never know who else has accessed it.

Home Network Vulnerabilities

One key point Alex made is the vulnerability of home networking equipment, such as routers provided by ISPs. These devices often have limited security features. The profit margins on these devices are tight, leading to a short lifespan and a lack of ongoing security updates. This makes them prime targets for bad actors who might use them to steal personal information, lock up data, or even tunnel into your work environment.

Alex recommends investing in more reputable and capable networking devices that offer better security and longer support. While this may require some extra effort in setup and maintenance, it’s a worthwhile investment to protect your data and privacy.

The Threat Landscape

The threats to home networks and personal devices are multifaceted. Bad actors might target you to steal sensitive information like bank account details or use your device as a bot in their command-and-control infrastructure.

Another common tactic is to exploit events posted on social media, such as work anniversaries, to craft convincing phishing emails. These emails often appear to come from HR and prompt you to click on links for benefits or updates, which can lead to malware infections or data breaches.

Cultivating Healthy Paranoia

Alex suggests that a bit of healthy paranoia can go a long way in protecting yourself. Being cautious and taking a moment to verify communications can prevent many common cybersecurity pitfalls. For example, if you receive an email with a link, type the URL manually into your browser instead of clicking on it. If someone calls claiming to be from a company, hang up and call the company back using a verified number.

Practical Tips for Home Security

1. Use a trusted VPN:?Tunnel all your traffic, including DNS, through a secure connection to protect your data.
2. Invest in better networking equipment:?Consider purchasing a router from a reputable company that offers regular security updates.
3. Be cautious with links and attachments:?Verify URLs and attachments before clicking, especially on mobile devices where it can be harder to inspect links.
4. Monitor your network:?Regularly check your home network for suspicious activity.
5. Educate yourself:?Stay informed about the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices.

Reduce Your Risk with Vigilance

In a world where remote work is the norm, cybersecurity awareness is more critical than ever. By adopting a zero-trust mindset, investing in better home networking equipment, and being cautious with online interactions, you can significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime. For businesses, it’s essential to monitor and protect remote workers’ devices and networks, treating every environment as potentially hostile.

Check out the full episode of the podcast?here.