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Telecommute Securely
- Audience: Faculty, Staff, Student
- Service Category: Desktop Support
Working remotely? Follow these tips to securely manage your telecommute.
- Don’t use unsafe networks.
Avoid public wireless networks when possible, and use UCSF VPN when you can’t. - Use your UCSF computer.
Your UCSF computer is encrypted and has the required security software installed. - Don’t share your UCSF computer with family and friends.
While it may seem harmless to let a friend or family member use your computer, even the simple act of checking an email may put your computer at risk for security threats. - If you don’t have a UCSF computer:
- Install the UCSF IT Security Suite on your personal computer. This will encrypt and secure your computer.
- Make sure your system is configured to automatically install updates.
- Use only what you need. Don’t keep copies of all your UCSF data on your computer if you only need a few files.
- Be vigilant against phishing. You’re probably accessing other email systems on your personal computer – don’t let a phishing message to a Gmail account result in a security incident for UCSF.
- Watch out for scams! COVID-10 related malware and phishing scams are running rampant. See:
- The Internet is drowning in COVID-19-related malware and phishing scams - Ars Technica
- Defending Against COVID-19 Cyber Scams - Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), US Dept. of Homeland Security
- Troll Terrifies Public Zoom Meeting By Sharing Highly Disturbing Video - Forbes - Includes tips from NIST on how to make virtual meetings more secure
- Don’t use free tools (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Docs). Use officially supported UCSF services like Box.
- Never leave your laptop in your car.
Keep in mind that there's a car break-in every 22 seconds in San Francisco. - Use Keeper Password Vault to securely manage your passwords.
This advice applies whether you’re telecommuting or not.