Question
- How can I stay safe while working remotely?
Audience
- Employee, Student or Associate
Explanation
Organizations across the globe have reported a higher presence of cybersecurity attacks directed at their remote workforces. Our cybersecurity awareness practices need to be more vigilant than ever.
Stay Aware
Phishing and malware are among the most widely used tactics of attack. Adversaries use buzzwords related to the COVID-19 pandemic to trick users into clicking or downloading them.
University IT remains devoted to keeping the OSU community safe. As always, the Service Desk (or your department IT) is your first stop for diagnosing “phishy” looking e-mails, downloads, and links. With the anonymity of the internet, you can never be certain who is on the other side of a computer – don’t trust, but verify.
Use the below resources for a refresh on safe practices and configurations; contact your IT department with any questions:
Office of Information Security - Secure Remote Work – Securing your PC or Mac
Service Desk - Security, Tuning, and OS Tips
Remote Maintenance
Technology vendors release crucial security and feature updates regularly. These updates protect technology against vulnerabilities and keep them running smoothly. When an OSU-Issued device is located at your office, these updates are installed automatically. Automatic updates are not possible when OSU-Issued devices are operated from a remote location. OSU IT support groups cannot administer automatic updates for Personally-Owned devices.
This presents risks to all users on the OSU network, OSU data and operations, and your device. To combat this, all employees working from remote locations should manually install updates themselves, or ask their IT support group for assistance.
For assistance, contact the Service Desk.