Working from home comes with its fair share of benefits — you can skip a lengthy commute and work in your PJs — but it has some downsides, too. Now that your 9–5 unfolds at home, you have fewer safety nets than if you clocked in at the office.
If something goes wrong, it’s up to you to fix it. Are you ready? Below you’ll find some tips to stave off work-from-home disasters.
Table of Contents
Preventing Hardware Problems
In the switch from cubicle to couch, you’re expected to use your personal computer and phone in place of the tech you used in the office. While some employers may offset the cost of their maintenance, most will let that responsibility fall squarely on your shoulders.
Here’s what you should be doing to keep your gear (and budget) safe:
- Keep food and drinks far away from your keyboard
- Equip your phone and laptop with cases
- Purge your browsing history regularly
- Delete unnecessary files
- Defrag your computer often
- Accept software updates
Unfortunately, mistakes happen. Early one morning, still half asleep, you can knock over a whole cup of coffee onto your laptop keyboard, frying the motherboard.
That’s why it’s a good idea to set aside some money in a tech fund. Over time, you’ll have a healthy stash of “uh oh” money. You can access this cash just in case something happens, and you need to repair or replace a device within the workday.
What if you fall short of your goal before disaster strikes? Talk to your employer to see if they can help or head online to find a cash advance to fill in the gaps. You can search for fast cash loans near you from your phone in case your laptop is totally inoperative. Depending on where you look, you can find a same day cash advance that gets you back online quickly, perhaps before your boss notices.
Avoiding Security Risks
Cybersecurity is another concern now that you’re a work-from-home warrior. With every email you receive and attachment you download, you could be exposing your personal tech to threats.
If a cybercriminal successfully hijacks your wireless connection or hooks you with a phishing email, you could expose company information and your own personal details.
Here are some security best practices anyone can do from home:
- Use an anti-virus to protect your computer from DDoS attacks, spyware, malware, viruses, and other breaches. The top anti-virus apps run quietly in the background as you work, quarantining security risks and flagging suspicious emails and attachments before you click them.
- Get a VPN to encrypt all the data moving between you and your company’s servers. A VPN (or Virtual Private Network) not only scrambles your data, but it also redirects your activity to a distant server. This makes it impossible to spy or track.
- Lock your Wi-Fi with a new password to strengthen your home network’s security. The default passwords for some of the biggest router manufacturers are plastered all over the web, so they’re incredibly easy to hack.
Bottom Line
Protecting your tech and security from disasters doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few subtle changes to your workday, you can prevent disasters as easily as running anti-virus, using a VPN, and enjoying your morning Joe far away from the keyboard. Try it out to enhance y
Yasmeen is a business and digital content writer at InBusinessWorld with more than five years of experience creating informative, practical and reader-focused content. She covers business, finance, marketing, technology and digital trends, helping readers understand important developments, strategies and ideas across the modern business landscape.
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Sameena is a content reviewer and editorial specialist at InBusinessWorld with more than five years of experience reviewing digital content. She reviews business, finance, marketing, technology and related editorial content with a focus on clarity, accuracy, readability, logical structure and overall content quality.
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