You wouldn't drive a car without a seatbelt or leave it parked with the keys in the ignition, your computers and personal devices shouldn't connect to the internet without the appropriate protective measures enabled to secure accounts, browsers, and data. Here is a list of bare minimum safety gear all remote teams should have in place in order of priority:

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#1
MFA (The Second Lock)

Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is second form of identity verification that ensures that it’s really you logging in. It could be a security code sent to your phone via text or email or an approval tap or rolling code from an app like Microsoft or Google Authenticator. Think of your password as the first lock and MFA as a second lock that requires a separate "key" to open. Even if someone steals your password, they still can’t access your account without this second step.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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#2

Long, One of a Kind Passphrases for Every Account (The First Lock)​

Think of these as super-strength deadbolts. Instead of short, hard-to-remember passwords like P@ssw0rd!, use a long string of random words (e.g., Correct-Horse-Battery-Staple). A 16-character minimum makes it nearly impossible for a computer to "guess" your key. Never reuse a password for multiple accounts, especially personal passwords for work accounts. Use the Pwned Passwords site to check if your password is a known vulnerable password (e.g., easy to guess or appeared in known data breaches). 

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#3

Anti-Malware Protection for Every Device (The "Inspector Inside")

Malware is the modern catch-all word for dangerous software—including ransomware, spyware, and traditional viruses. Anti-malware doesn't just watch the door; it watches everything already inside the building. It inspects the files you download, the apps you run, and the "behavior" of the computer. If you accidentally invite a "bad actor" in (like clicking a link in a fake email), a firewall might let it through because you asked for it. But anti-malware steps in to stop block the download or isolate malicious software once it’s on your system.

 

High-quality anti-malware suites offer all-in-one tools that act as a 24/7 security guard for Android devices, Windows PCs, and Mac computers, blocking suspicious behavior and "scam" links in real-time. (Note: Because of their design, iPhones and iPads are the only devices that do not require this additional software.) Bitdefender and Norton are examples of reputable brands that provide comprehensive safety kits that handle most malware threats in a single, easy-to-use package.

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#4

3-2-1 Backups (The Safety Net)

This is your "undo" button if things go wrong. Keep 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of media (like a hard drive and the cloud), with 1 copy kept in a completely different physical location. If a fire or a virus hits one, you have a spare.

 

#5

Enable Built-in Firewalls (Windows and Mac) (The "Security Guard at the Door")

A firewall sits at the entrance (your internet connection/router) and looks at traffic. It doesn't really care what is inside a package; it just looks at the "shipping label" to see if it’s coming from a trusted source. If a random computer from halfway across the world tries to connect to your laptop, the firewall sees that it wasn't invited and slams the door. It stops unauthorized access from the outside.
 

#6

Home Network Safety (The "Front Gate")

Since your home Wi-Fi is now part of your workspace, it’s important to treat your router like a secure front gate. The firewall on your internet router protects your entire home. It stands at the edge of your house and blocks random, uninvited probes from the internet before they can even reach your computer or smart gadgets.
 

Hackers often scan thousands of home internet connections at once looking for an "open door." 
Most routers provided by your internet company allow you to make adjustments. Even if you aren't a tech expert, you can improve your home internet security by doing the following:
 

• Change the default Wi-Fi password that came printed on your router to a unique passphrase. This prevents anyone from using "factory settings" to get onto your network.
   

• Log in to your router settings and ensure your security type is set to WPA3 or WPA2. This acts like a high-end scrambler, making your internet traffic unreadable to neighbors or hackers.
   

• If you rent your equipment from a cable company (like Xfinity, Spectrum, or Cox), a basic firewall is usually enabled by default. However, it’s always a good idea to double-check. You can typically find this by logging into your provider’s app or website and looking under "Security" or "Network Settings."
  
  For most home users, setting the firewall to its "Medium" or "Typical" security level provides strong protection without accidentally blocking your ability to join a Zoom call or stream a movie.

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#7

Emergency Team Contacts (The "In Case of Fire" Plan)

This is a communication life-raft. If the organization email become inaccessible, you need a pre-shared list of phone numbers or personal emails so the team can still coordinate and fix the problem.

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#8

Emergency Technical Contacts (The "Digital Fire Department")

Think of your technical contacts as the digital fire department. If a "fire" breaks out e.g., your website is hacked, you’re locked out of a critical account, or a laptop is acting strangely, you don't want to be searching for a phone number in the middle of the smoke. It is vital to have a "break-glass-in-case-of-emergency" list that includes support numbers, account IDs, and the security codes needed to prove you’re the owner of your services.
 

Because digital emergencies can sometimes lock you out of your email or chat, you should print this list out or keep it in a physical safe. Work out your "fire drill" in advance:
 

• Who is responsible for holding the master list?

• How will the team alert them if the internet is down? (e.g., a phone call or a specific group text).

• Which "firefighter" gets called first for each specific problem?
   

Having this plan ready means in a crisis you can limit the panick and start recovering.

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#9

DNS Filtering (The "Bad Neighborhood" Blocker)​

Free services like Quad9 act like a smart GPS for the internet. Before your computer visits a website, this tool checks it against a list of known "scam sites." If the site is dangerous, the tool simply refuses to go there, stopping the threat before it even loads.
 

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#10​​

Password Manager (The Digital Vault)

Since you should never use the same password twice, a password manager (a secure digital vault) can remember them all for you. You only have to remember one master passphrase or access key. Password manager software easily stores hundreds of complex passphrases and other sensitive information. You can easily access your passwords across devices and browsers. Versions with enterprise-level features such as Single Sign On (SSO) make it easy to share passwords for your organization. You can easily add or remove users as needed.  
 

#11

​Device Encryption (The Scrambler)

Encryption turns the data on your laptop into unreadable gibberish unless you are logged in. If a team member leaves their laptop in a coffee shop, whoever finds it can’t see any company files, even if they take the computer apart.

 

#12

​Website Security (The Site Health Routine)

• Does your organization maintain ownership of your domain registrar and hosting accounts? Are these registered to the organization rather than a volunteer’s or contractor's personal email?

• Consider installing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to protect data and web processes.

• Limit admin user access and delete old user accounts.

• Keep all plugins and software updated.

• Do not use your website database to store restricted data.

• Audit any API connections regularly, like those that send data from a webform to your CRM software.

• Ensure off-site backups are automated, so you can recover if your site is compromised.