Internet security in coworking spaces

Internet security within coworking spaces

Coworking offices give you an affordable alternative to renting your own space. Overhead costs such as WiFi and electricity are kept low, plus it gives you the chance to network with other entrepreneurs and gain access to a productive environment.

This shift in workplace dynamics has led to a great deal of positive change in the world of work, driving a greater work-life balance as well as contributing to higher levels of employee productivity and performance.

However, before joining a coworking space, it’s important to understand the data security risks inherent in coworking environments and exactly how to mitigate them.

Internet security, or otherwise more technically referred to as data security, is the practice of protecting digital information from unauthorized access, corruption, or theft. When properly implemented, data security programmes will protect an organisation’s information assets against cybercriminal activities, but they also guard against insider threats, not to mention human error, which remains one of the leading causes of data breaches today.

Digital transformation continues to alter every aspect of how today’s businesses operate and compete. The sheer volume of data that enterprises create, manipulate, and store is growing, and drives a greater need for data governance.

Data safety and risks in shared workspaces

Within coworking spaces, many different professionals may be operating and sharing resources under one roof, rendering them vulnerable to exploitation by data hackers, in a context where cybercrime is already a particular threat to smaller businesses.

Businesses of all sizes know that building a great reputation and earning customer trust takes years of hard work. And without the appropriate precautions in place, this can be destroyed in minutes if the business is targeted by a cyber-attack.

More than half (55%) of UK firms reported an attempted cyber-attack in 2019, a 15% rise from 2018, according to a 2019 study by Hiscox – and the rates of cybercrime continue to rise. The report also highlighted a 14% increase from the previous year in small businesses reporting cyber-attack incidents.

Hackers want access to valuable data, such as customer records, and they also have several ways of exploiting coworking vulnerabilities to compromise your devices. So, it’s vital that as a business, you have knowledge on how to prevent cyber-hacking from happening in the first place, as well as what steps you should take should an attack happen.

Securing your data

technologywithin prides itself on creating secure and safe places for all businesses to operate within coworking spaces. There are also a few steps you can take yourself to secure your data and devices, to put yourself in a much better position to prevent attacks. Here are some basic tips to help you and your business avoid any unwanted internet security breaches:

• Update your operating system, web browsers and other applications.
• Disable automatic connections to available WiFi networks.
• Use the public network configuration when connecting to the coworking space’s network, as this setting disables file and folder sharing.
• Use firewalls, network activity monitors and other security software.
• Create strong passwords and change them frequently. Enable two-step authentication when available for your business-critical accounts.
• Maintain physical control over your devices. Lost, stolen or unattended devices create vulnerability points.

In today’s digital world, it’s more important than ever to be aware of the risks your business could face online. Cybercrime can impact businesses in several different ways, and a cyberattack has the potential to cause financial and reputational damage, even ruin, to a small business or sole trader.

By ensuring you and your employees understand the risks at hand, while also making conscious efforts to keep your online company data as safe and secure as possible, your chances of experiencing a cyber-attack will be significantly lower.

Get in touch

If you’d like to find out more about how we can help with internet security in coworking spaces get in touch with our friendly and knowledgeable team.