Although we haven’t been able to physically go to school or work for a while, that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped learning. In fact, the coronavirus lockdowns have provided a number of important lessons. We’ve adapted to remote working, remote schooling, remote conferences – even remote happy hour! – and kept learning along the way. Read on for ESET’s top five lockdown lessons.
1. The right tools can make a job much easier
DIY, working from home, baking bread; many of the staples of lockdown life have shown us that having the right tools for the job at hand is key to success. This is also true of cybersecurity – especially when it comes to keeping kids safe online. With the increased range of content available on the internet, keeping track of new threats can be difficult on top of monitoring kids’ use of technology during lockdown. Having trustworthy, reliable cybersecurity software installed on their devices can help ease the burden and make parents’ jobs much easier.
2. Password managers are the way forward
It’s easy enough to manage unique passwords for different accounts when your computer already has them all stored. But moving to remote working has meant, for many, changing devices – and losing those saved passwords. A password manager can solve this problem because it helps users keep complex, unique passwords secure and available for use on any device, even as our time online increases.
3. Not all screen time is bad screen time
Lockdown has unveiled a host of online resources old and new that can be entertaining and enriching. Content from institutions such as The National Theatre, London’s Royal Academy, and Rosetta Stone has opened up a wealth of new opportunities for children and adults alike. Screen time now encompasses so much more. But with these new possibilities comes the increased threat of phishing, a danger that we can mitigate by making sure to search for resources through trusted sites and verifiable links.
4. Personal devices need security too
Many of us started working from home without warning and without the resources we were used to. This might have meant working on personal devices rather than work devices, which are often not as well protected. Many of us have been using personal mobile devices for work even more, so it has been more important than ever to properly secure them. Installing protective software such as ESET Mobile Security and practicing good cyber hygiene go a long way to staying safer on our personal devices.
5. We’re all in this together
… and not just because you can learn the dance on TikTok. From applauding healthcare workers to buying groceries for elderly neighbours, so much of what we’ve done over the past few months has been rooted in togetherness. When we all chip in and do our part, the results can be amazing – and cybersecurity is no different. The little things we do help make everyone safer and allow us all to enjoy the internet more.
If we can remember these lessons as lockdowns lift, then the online life we return to may even be a little bit better than the one we left behind.