After the year-end strikes, telework will experience a new boost in no time. Companies are now encouraged to develop homework to stem the spread of the coronavirus. But beware: this is a boon for hackers who multiply attacks to place viruses, steal data or even ask for ransoms! And for good reason: our personal computers are less well protected than those we use in the office. Companies and employees must therefore be very vigilant. Europe 1 received advice from Ivan Kwiatkowski, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.
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Personal computers, easy targets
"Cybercriminals always take advantage of strong news, crises in particular, to increase the rate of their attacks. The coronavirus is no exception. Everyone wants to learn about this phenomenon and we are a little less vigilant when we click on a link or when you open an email, "warns Ivan Kwiatkowski. However, in the case of telework, employees often use their own computer, less secure than the one they have in their company, configured by an IT department.
"When you add a computer to a network, you actually add a gateway for hackers, it's one more target. Even within the company, this door is normally shielded, the risk is minimal. But when you open it from home, on your personal computer, that is not always the case, "said the cybersecurity specialist. And hackers are on the lookout. "They are not targeting a particular company. These are massive campaigns that target as many people as possible, looking for the slightest loophole. It is only after they have access to the data that they decide what they're going to do with it. "
Do not do what you would not do in the office
If your business never provides you with IT equipment and you have no choice but to use your personal computer, there are a few recommendations to follow. "The first thing is to check that your computer is not checked with anti-virus software. Then you have to behave like in the office: do not consult questionable websites, beware of mails from unknown senders, update the applications well when the system requests it, install only software that you know ", advises Ivan Kwiatkowski.
Each company has its own security requirements. Those who can are invited to provide secure access to their employees, for example by installing a VPN, software allowing them to connect remotely to the internal network of the company in a secure manner. Then, the line to follow for the employee is simple: do not telecommute what he would not do at work with his computer.