Using a Personal Device for Work? How to Protect Your Data

1. Follow Your Company's Cybersecurity Guidelines Find out if your company has guidelines in place for using your personal device for work. If so, learn these guidelines and follow them closely. Or, if not, ask your manager about how to secure any work data on your personal device. This allows you to gain the insights you need to protect your data at all times.

2. Utilize Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Technology Implement MFA technology on your personal device. With this technology in place, you'll need to provide two or more factors to verify your identity before you can access your device. MFA is easy to set up and use on computers and mobile devices. It provides an extra layer of security as well. If your personal device is stolen or lost, MFA minimizes the risk that anyone who retrieves your device can access any data stored on it.

3. Update Your Device's Password Regularly Make sure your device's password is updated at regular intervals. Ideally, you should update your device's password every few weeks. Each time you update your password, use a unique combination of letters, numbers, and special characters for your new password.

4. Keep Your Device Software Up to Date Look for device software updates and patches and download them as needed. You can set up automatic updates on your device. That way, you'll automatically get software updates and patches as soon on your device as they become available.

5. Communicate and Collaborate with Your Employer Keep the lines of communication open with your employer about cybersecurity. For example, if you work from home and have questions about securing work data on your personal device, share your questions with your employer. This allows you to communicate with your employer about cyber protection. Together, you and your employer can ensure that any work data on your personal devices remains secure.

Do What's Necessary to Protect Your Data on Your Personal Device If you have a personal device you use for work, do what's necessary to protect any data stored on it. Explore opportunities to optimize security on your device. Over time, you'll be well equipped to guard against cyberattacks and data breaches. For those interested in a new job with a company that values cyber protection, partner with Ascend Staffing. We can put you in touch with top companies that are ready to add top talent right away. Check out our job board today.