Irma D. Rutherford In the last few years, freelancers’ situation has changed dramatically.
In the US, there are currently 58 million independent workers. In five years, it will reach an astounding 86.4 million people and be the majority of the US workforce.
You should pay attention to one aspect if you are a freelancer or plan to be one. Your career as a freelancer can be affected by the safety of your online data, either for good or for bad.
How can a freelancer stay safe on the internet?
Post-pandemic Rise of Freelance Workers
Many countries have accepted remote work as a way to work.
According to statistics, remote work is not only going to be a thing in the future, but it will also become a regular feature.
Freelancers are no different. Freelance work is not a new trend, and it is growing globally. Google’s team included more freelancers in 2019 than permanent employees (54% vs. 44%, respectively).
58% of non-freelancers think about trying self-employment in the future.
While this kind of work is flexible and offers a nomadic lifestyle idealized, it also comes with online safety risks.
What are the digital security threats that freelancers face today?
Self-employed people are usually responsible for all aspects of their business. A freelancer must find clients, complete the work, pay taxes, and protect sensitive client data.
As a freelancer, it is not easy to remain safe online.
Freelancers are responsible for their IT infrastructure, even if companies have a team of IT experts or a sophisticated IT architecture.
No matter what their specialty is, freelancers are exposed to many cyber risks.
They may make costly mistakes without realizing it, as they lack in-depth knowledge of cybersecurity;
They do not receive any notifications about security vulnerabilities because they don’t have a team of cybersecurity and developers in-house;
As with all people, freelancers are also susceptible to cyber-attacks.
Some mistakes may only result in the loss of a social media account. A successful cyber-attack can cause financial crises, leak client data, gain access to sensitive documents, and disrupt activities.
You should know how to be safe online, both for your data and that of clients.
What is the best way to remain safe on the internet when you are a freelancer?
Cybersecurity is not rocket science. Once you understand what works, staying safe online is simple.
These are the five main rules that you need to follow as a freelancer in order to be safe on the internet. You will be able to avoid the majority of cyber threats if you follow these rules.
Don’t follow the easiest route. Never risk sharing passwords in plaintext. Cybercriminals can easily steal plaintext passwords. Look for -encrypted solutions when storing, managing, or sending sensitive data. Send a password, for example, over encrypted password management.
Back up all important files and data. You will be protected from losing important data, such as code pieces, photos, or text, for an advertising campaign.
Don’t transmit files when connected to public wifi. Public wifi is free, but it poses some serious security risks. Never send passwords or any other sensitive information if you must log into the network. Use mobile data to transfer valuable data.
Beware of phishing scams, one of the most common cyber threats. Phishing, a social-engineering cyberattack, is an effective way to steal sensitive information and passwords. Avoid falling into the trap. It would be best if you learned to identify such emails.
Share and store your passwords using a password manager. A password manager that is encrypted will allow you to send and receive client credentials securely. This is the safest way to store passwords. Password managers, even if used for a lifetime, It is not even comparable. Try them.
Freelancers who are paid well cannot afford to make cybersecurity mistakes that put the data of their clients at risk. Stay safe as a freelancer online by following the above steps.
