10 ways for Singapore BYOD users to help secure the network

Security professionals exist to serve their end users or ‘customers’ – and we all know that customers are always right. Or are they! In the real world, security pro’s are constantly frustrated by users’ behaviour impacting the network - especially now so many are bringing their own devices (BYOD) into the work environment.

Yet since users are indeed a very important part of any IT security policy, it pays to keep them informed of what they can do to reduce day-to-day risks. So here are ten tips:

1. Avoid unsecured Wi-Fi networks. If you do have to use one, try not to access sensitive / critical data while using network. Open Wi-Fi networks are susceptible to hacking and you may end up leaving the door open for company and personal data theft.

2. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when you are outside the office. Accessing the company network over the VPN adds to security and prevents hackers from snooping on your data.

3. Look after you devices. In Singapore, it’s easy to become too trusting and take safety for granted, but remember that that hacking happens anywhere where there’s technology. So don’t leave devices unattended and if you have to, make sure they are locked with a password. Your device may hold important data or passwords to access the company’s systems.

4. Make ‘strong’ passwords. ‘Password01’ is not ideal for any corporate system. To make it easier to remember consider utilising password phrases or word chains that relate to you, but do not use information that could easily be sources from social media. i.e. Ihave3blackcats!

5. If your device is lost or stolen, report this to your IT department as soon as possible. Consider how quickly you would report a stolen credit card.

6. Work with your company’s IT team. Because security is so important, many companies publish easy-to-understand guidelines explaining how users should act while linked to the corporate system. Take the time to review and ask questions.

7. Do not install software or mobile applications (apps) from unknown sources. There were 932 cases of online banking malware victims in Singapore during the first quarter of 2013, out of 112,981 cases reported globally. Linked to this, some 5.2 billion spam email messages are sent every month worldwide. So exercise caution before opening mail attachments or clicking on links from unknown sources. You may end up with malware that can spread to your work network.

8. Keep your devices up-to-date: Do not postpone anti-virus and patch updates and restart your system when you have to. Often these contain important security updates that protect you from current viruses and worms.

9. Leave the peer-to-peer at home. More users are admitting to downloading music or movies online over the company network. These downloads are highly prone to malware and can lead to hacking. So uninstall peer-to-peer programs and disable file sharing from devices used on your company network.

10. Enable backup and external wipe on your device. If your device is stolen, the best way to protect data is for you or your IT department to wipe all content off the device remotely. For this reason, make sure your devices is backed up regularly and store the content in a safe place (e.g. iCloud for iPhone), so that you can enable remote wipe quickly and still have the data to get back up and running.