Workplace Information Security

How-To Overview

The following tips are useful given that you work in an environment in which you are encountering significant surveillance from superiors and/or coworkers.

Secure Your Computer

• Passwords: The most basic element of securing your workplace computer is keeping your password out of the hands of others. While you know better than to write down your password anywhere or enter it while in the view of others, you may want to keep in mind the following tips to ensure others will never figure it out

  • Make your password as long as possible.
  • Incorporate numbers, symbols, and--if your password is case sensitive--both upper and lower case letters; change your password often.

Secure Your Internet and E-mail Activity

• Internet Activity: The simplest most effectve step toward protecting your activity on the internet is to simply stay away from sites that may get you into trouble.
• E-mail: Covering your tracks when emailing can be more productive with the use of two key elements: send email to anonymous addresses that cannot be traced; and encode your messages with code-words and/or pre-established text encryption devices.

Secure Your Address Book

• Encode Names: Assigning random code names for your contacts is the first step toward keeping the identities of the entries in your address book a secret.
• Anonymize E-mail: Anonymous email addresses will mean nothing to anyone looking through your contacts if there is no meaningful name to attach to the address (alhtough code names for email addresses can also be devised: e.g. @Google = @XYZABC).
• Encode Phone Numbers: Phone numbers can also be easily coded with a personalized seven digit number that can be added to each phone number encryption (e.g. adding 222-2222 to the phone number 371-4776 gives the coded number 593- 6998).

Secure Your Trash

• Shread Documents: Shred sensitive documents whenever possible, but, to be absolutely certain sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands, do not assume that shredded documents cannot be painstakingly pieced together.
• Dispose of Documents Outside Office: To further ensure the security of sensitive material, keep all discarded documents in a locked drawer while at work, and take the documents with you when you leave to shred and dispose of in an undisclosed location.

Secure Your Mail

• Security Envelopes: Always use security envelopes when sending letters.
• Carbon Paper: Insert a piece of carbon paper into letters before sending; any manipulation of the envelope or contents will leave marks on the carbon paper.

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