Working Remotely Securely

Many people now do part of their work from home, a truck, a jobsite trailer or a coffee shop: estimating, scheduling, email, timesheets, safety reports or office work. Away from the office network, you are the first line of defense. A few habits protect your employer’s data and your own accounts.

• Everyone
• Office & Field
• Small Business

Why remote work is a target

• Home networks and personal devices usually have weaker protection than a company network.
• Criminals send phishing emails, fake invoices and texts pretending to be your boss, the payroll team or a vendor. See Phishing Emails and Payroll & Direct Deposit Scams.
• A stolen password, an infected laptop or a lost phone can open the door to company systems and customer data.
• Ransomware attacks often start with one remote worker. See Ransomware.

Accounts and passwords

• Use a strong, unique password for every account, and a password manager to keep track. See Strong Passwords and Password Managers.
• Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for work email, cloud apps, payroll and banking. An authenticator app or security key is better than text messages. See Two-Factor Authentication.
• Never share your passwords or codes with anyone, including someone who says they are from IT. Real IT staff don’t ask for your 2FA code.
• Sign out of accounts on shared computers, and don’t save passwords in a browser on a shared device.

Devices

• Use company-approved devices when possible, with the security software your employer provides. Follow your employer’s policy on personal devices.
• Keep work and personal separate. Don’t let family members or friends use your work laptop or phone, and don’t put work files on personal cloud accounts or USB drives unless allowed.
• Install updates for the operating system, apps and antivirus as soon as they are available. Turn on automatic updates. See Software Updates.
• Lock your screen when you step away, and set an automatic lock. Use a PIN or biometric lock on phones and tablets. See Smartphone Security.
• Encrypt and back up. Make sure laptops have disk encryption turned on, and back up important files as your employer directs. See Backups.
• Protect devices physically. Don’t leave laptops or phones in a vehicle, on a jobsite or in plain view. See Lost or Stolen Phone.

Home network

• Change the default router password, and use strong Wi-Fi encryption (WPA2 or WPA3) with a long passphrase. See Home Wi-Fi & Routers.
• Keep router firmware updated, and turn off features you don’t use.
• Use a guest network for visitors and smart devices, and keep work devices on the main network.
• Use a VPN if your employer provides one, and connect to it whenever you work with company systems.

Working on public Wi-Fi and while traveling

• Public Wi-Fi in hotels, airports and cafes isn’t secure. Avoid logging into sensitive accounts on it. Use your phone’s hotspot or your employer’s VPN instead. See Public Wi-Fi.
• Be careful of shoulder surfing. Use a privacy screen, and don’t discuss confidential information in public.
• Be careful of unknown USB drives and charging stations. Use your own charger. See Safe Browsing.
• Don’t leave devices unattended, and don’t connect to a Wi-Fi network with a name that looks suspicious or duplicated.

Email, messages and requests

• Don’t click links or open attachments you weren’t expecting. Check the sender’s actual address, and look for odd wording, urgency and threats. See Downloads & Email Attachments.
• Don’t act on urgent requests for gift cards, wire transfers or changes to bank details without verifying by phone, using a number you already know. See Invoice Fraud and Impersonation Scams.
• Don’t send customer or employee personal data, such as Social Security numbers, by regular email unless your employer’s policy allows it.
• Be careful of AI-generated or voice-cloned requests that sound like your boss. See Deepfakes & AI Scams.

Privacy at home

• Work in a space where family members and visitors can’t see your screen or overhear calls, when you handle sensitive information.
• Shred paper with confidential information, and don’t leave documents lying around.
• Be aware that smart speakers, cameras and TVs can listen or record. Mute or unplug them during sensitive calls. See Stalkerware & Trackers.

If something goes wrong

1. Report it right away to your employer’s IT or security contact, even if you think it’s minor, like clicking a link or losing a device. Quick reporting limits the damage, and good employers don’t punish honest reports.
2. Disconnect the device from the network if you suspect malware, and don’t turn it back on until instructed.
3. Change passwords for affected accounts from a clean device. See What to Do if Your Account Is Hacked.
4. Report crimes to the authorities. See Reporting Cybercrime.

Employers

Write a simple remote work policy, give workers company devices or clear rules for personal ones, require 2FA, provide a VPN and password manager, train staff on phishing, and make it easy to report problems. See Small Business Cybersecurity.

Remote work checklist

• Strong, unique passwords with 2FA on work accounts
• Devices updated, locked, encrypted and backed up
• Home Wi-Fi password changed, with WPA2 or WPA3 and updated firmware
• VPN or hotspot used on public networks; screen locked when I leave
• Unexpected links, attachments and urgent money requests are verified first
• I know who to tell if a device is lost or an account is compromised

Last updated: October 4, 2026