When you’re at the workplace, everything you do online is visible to the network team. Learn how you can stay digitally secure when you’re at the office.
While online privacy is important no matter where you are, privacy at work becomes even more critical because office traffic is generally monitored. So if you think nobody saw while you clicked on that NSFW link, you’re wrong.
When you’re at the office, online privacy is of extreme importance. Here is how you can protect your privacy when you’re at the office.
Top Tips For Protecting Your Privacy At Work
Learn About The Network Monitoring Policies
Every workplace has some policies regarding acceptable online activities. Most workplaces monitor internet traffic to see if employees are performing up to expectations.
To learn about how much of your data is monitored, you can read the official policies or talk to the network admins. However, keep in mind that not all workplaces disclose their data monitoring policies.
While most offices just use network monitoring tools, some go so far as using keyloggers and taking random screenshots of their employees’ screens.
If you don’t want your bosses to know something, don’t do it!
Don’t Open NSFW Content
This should go without saying… don’t look at porn at work. The last thing you want is to be the one that infects the network with spyware.
Use Your Own Device For Personal Activites
At the end of the day, the equipment you use for work belongs to the company. It’s best to use your own device for personal activities. So, instead of checking your social media accounts from your work computer, use your phone for that.
Also, make sure you don’t use the office Wi-Fi network because the traffic moving over the workplace network will be monitored unless you connect with a VPN.
Keep Different Passwords
The network admins most probably know your work login password. If you use the same password for your personal accounts, they can access those as well.
Turn On Two-Factor Authentication
You might accidentally open your social media accounts or emails on the work computer. When you do this, the network admins might get your password. However, if you use two-factor authentication (2FA) they will need to pass another level of security to get to your accounts.
Most platforms allow 2FA. The first factor is the username/password combination. The second factor could be a text message or an email.
The Bottom Line
You can avoid a lot of uncomfortable situations by following these tips to stay secure at work. If you must do something personal while at work you should encrypt your traffic with a VPN to keep your network admin from snooping on you.