When creating a home office, it’s typical to make decisions like which room has the best light or which side of the desk should the printer sit on. It may be harder to decide what technology would improve your home office. Browsing protection, VPN services, and mesh Wifi are simple upgrades that can create a private, more productive, and secure experience working from home.
Browsing Protection
Most of our workday involves using a web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. During our web activities, we are at risk of exposure to unwanted ads, ransomware, or hijacking. You can make web browsing a safer experience by using search engines or implementing browser extensions that block popup windows, prevent tracking, and enforce secure connections. Browser extensions are easy to install and add features to your browser.
Search Engines & Extensions
- Search Engine – DuckDuckGo
- Browser Plugin – DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials
- Browser Plugin – uBlock Origin
- Browser Plugin – EFF Privacy Badger
- Browser Plugin – EFF HTTPS Everywhere
Have you ever been blocked from accessing websites like YouTube or Facebook while at work? This block happens via Domain Name System (DNS)/Web filtering. DNS filtering prevents you from accessing potentially harmful websites or inappropriate content. There are free and inexpensive services that offer customizable content filtering, which is useful for preventing kids from accessing specific websites or adult content.
It’s not uncommon for attackers to purchase commonly mistyped domain names. Their goal is to impersonate the website you were trying to access and encourage you to click on a malicious piece of content. DNS filtering has built-in protection that prevents you from accessing malicious domains.
DNS/Web Filtering Apps & Services
Anonymization & Encryption
Using Virtual Private Network (VPN) services on laptops and mobile devices keeps your web browsing traffic private and protected. A VPN creates a secure tunnel that encrypts your information so that it’s hidden as it travels. This tunnel makes it harder for attackers to see and access your data. VPNs are essential when accessing sensitive information like personal identifiable information (PII) or protected health information (PHI). VPN services are typically subscription-based and provide continuous or on-demand use.
VPN Services
Internet Connectivity
Are you experiencing intermittent Wifi coverage or slow speeds at your home office? Mesh Wifi systems can improve the strength and range of your connectivity. Depending on where you can place your modem and router, the Wifi signal may need to travel through several floors or walls, which degrades the signal quality. Mesh Wifi systems have one powerful device that connects to your modem or router. That device broadcasts a signal to smaller wireless devices, which act as repeaters by rebroadcasting the original signal. By repeating the signal, your Wifi increases in range and quality. Placing a repeater near your deck makes a backyard home office possible.
Mesh Wifi Vendors
Is your company experiencing challenges with a remote work environment? Coretelligent provides industry-leading IT solutions that keep your business mobile, flexible, secure, and in compliance. If you have questions about how to configure secure remote work solutions for your company, contact the experts at Coretelligent at 855-841-5888 or via email to info@coretelligent.com to schedule your complimentary initial consultation.
You may also be interested in our blog on BYOD: Supporting Home Devices.
