Hybrid work model best practices: How much time should I spend working from home vs. at my office? Should I work from home full time or part-time? How often should I go into the office? What kind of benefits does working from home offer me?
Working from home has become a trend in recent years. Many companies are now offering flexible hours and remote work options. Some even allow employees to work from their homes full time.
There are pros and cons to both types of work environments. If you decide to work remotely, you’ll need to manage your time well and stay organized. Here are some ways to get started.
The Work From Home Dilemma: Hybrid Work Model Best Practices
Working from home can be a highly productive environment if you keep your energy up and your workspace well organized. You will need to set up a regular work schedule and stick with it to make the most of your time. The biggest challenge is staying focused and getting work done.
Another issue is the security risks from working at home. If you work from home, you will need to be diligent about protecting your identity and your company’s information from hackers.
Here are the best practices for working from home and preventing security threats from attacking your networks:
1. Keep your personal and work computers separately.
The most important thing that you can do is to keep your work computer and your personal computer separate from each other. If you don’t, you run the risk of exposing your personal information to your employer, which may lead to identity theft.
If you don’t have a dedicated computer for work, then at least make sure to clear your browsing history, data cache, and temporary files after every use.
2. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Investing in a Virtual Private Network (VPN) will help protect you and your company’s information online. A VPN will create a secure connection between your home computer and your office network.
VPNs are easy to set up but they can be expensive depending on how many people will be using the network. If money is an issue, consider setting up a private VPN with just one computer that can be used by family members or trusted friends.
3. Use a firewall to protect your computer and network from the Internet.
Firewalls are your last line of defense against hackers. They keep intruders out of your computer.
If you don’t have a firewall on your computer, consider purchasing one, or at the very least, make sure to have antivirus and malware protection software on your computer.
4. Check and update your security software regularly.
Just because you invested in a firewall doesn’t mean that you can let your guard down completely. You should still check to make sure that your security software is up-to-date. If there is a vulnerability in the software that you’re using, it’s important to know about it so that you can fix it immediately.
5. Make sure to have multiple passwords and change them frequently.
One of the most important steps in protecting your identity and company information is to have multiple passwords for your accounts and to change those passwords frequently.
Password-protecting your computer and network will keep intruders from breaking in if they steal any of your equipment. You should also use different passwords for every account and make sure they are at least 12 characters long with letters, numbers, symbols, capitalization, and punctuation marks.
Change them every few months or so for maximum security. Be sure that no one else knows any of them except for you.