Our IT Manager at Gunn-Mowery, LLC provided some tips on how to work from home securely, as well as how to ensure your computer’s speed is working optimally. Please note that every organization will have their own set of policies and procedures. These are general tips that may be helpful as we navigate this new work environment.
Work From Home: Security Tips
- Ensure your Router is protected with a secure password. Call your Internet Service Provider for assistance on how to change your router's password to something more secure. It is important to ensure that your home router is not using a simple password, such as "Admin", or "Password". The password on your router should be many characters, and should not be easily guessed. This will help protect your personal internet too.
- Be careful with sensitive information, in communal spaces. It is important to take the same precautions to protect Personally Identifiable Information, as you would in the office.
- Be mindful what you say at home. Do not discuss sensitive information where others can hear. Family members, or even digital assistants, such as Amazon Alexa, could inadvertently be listening.
- Avoid Phishing Scams. When in doubt, call your client to inquire about odd emails, over the phone. Do not email asking them if a strange email is legitimate. When a hacker breaks into an email, they will obviously lie and say it's legitimate.
Work From Home: Internet Speed Tips
- Ensure you are close to your WiFi Router. If slow, see if you notice speed differences if you move closer to router.
- When in doubt, restart. If you think you may be having Internet issues, Power Off your Internet router, Wait 10 seconds, then Power On your Internet Router.
- Call your Internet Service Provider. to have them run tests on your internet connection. They can run tests on your internet connection to ensure it's working well. They can also restart your router for you.
- Slow Internet? Run an Internet speed test!
- Navigate to www.speedtest.NET
- Click "Go".
- The Test will take about 1 minute to complete.
- The minimum results to be able to work from home efficiently are (NOTE: These results can change depending on time of day, and distance from your router.):
- PING = 150 ms or lower
- Download = 15 mbps or higher
- Upload = 5 mbps or higher