How to Safely Bring Your Hardware Back Into the Office
After a few months of working from home, heading back to the office is exciting! But before we just throw (hopefully, not literally) our laptops, monitors, keyboards, and mice into our car for the journey back to their home in the office, we should take the proper precautions to ensure a safe return…Like not throwing your laptop.
Let’s take a look at a few items below for a safe digital and physical return. Also, don’t miss the What Didn’t Work When WFH and How You Can Fix It Cheatsheet at the end.
How to Safely Bring Your Hardware Back Into the Office
Why It Matters
As devices return to the office, they likely won’t be the same, in terms of security, as when they left. Meaning, throughout the last few months that employees had devices in their homes they could have been downloading software, games, etc.
This raises security concerns as anything downloaded could contain malware which when brought back into the office and connected to the corporate network can potentially infect other devices on the network.
It’s also important to take care when moving your devices from your home office back to your work building. Carelessness during the transport could result in damaged devices and unhappy bosses. By taking an extra step to be certain that your hardware is digitally and physically safe can save you from cleaning up a mess later on.
The Digital Return
You might not think about the digital shape of your computer or laptop upon return, however, digital hygiene plays a very important role in your defense strategy against cyber crime.
As mentioned earlier, you have to consider what people may have been downloading onto their devices while at home. Anything that contains malware and is then connected to the office network can infect other devices on that network.
Here’s what you can do to stay safe wile WFH:
Only use your work devices for work-related tasks.
Be wary of downloads and attachments.
Use the VPN provided by your organization.
Instead of working on your home computer, use a remote desktop connection to your office workstation.
Only use your work email for business-related activity.
The Physical Return
Aside from the digital security of devices, the physical return is just as important. You don’t want to bring your hardware back just for it to be broken. Your boss might not be too happy with you for that either.
Here’s how you can safely transport your hardware:
1. Before you pack up your computer, back it up to an external hard drive or cloud drive. This is to ensure that if your computer is damaged in the transport, you don’t lose any files on it.
2. Turn off devices.
3. Detach any cables and roll them up individually to prevent tangling or damage. You can place your cables in a separate bag or individually tape them, so they don’t unroll and tangle together.
4. Find a box that will hold your computer and tape the bottom with a few layers to make certain nothing will fall through.
5. Line the bottom with crumpled packing paper, bubble wrap, towels, or something similar to create a cushion.
6. For extra protection, wrap your computer in bubble wrap and secure it with tape.
7. Place the computer and accessories in the box and fill in the gaps of space with whatever you used in step 5 to create a cushion. Don’t forget to add your cushion to the top of the box as well.
8. Once everything is in the box secured, go ahead and tape the rest of the box.
Helpful tips for packing electronics:
To help make the unpacking and reassembly process quicker you can color code or label the cords with their corresponding ports.
Also, taking photos of how cords are connected can aid in remembering where they need to be plugged in at.
Pack electronics in an upright position.
Place larger, heavier items on the bottom of the box.
Now you’re ready to safely bring your hardware back into the office!
Conclusion
Just as security was of extreme importance leaving the office to work remotely, coming back to the office is no different. Knowing how to safely return your laptops, computers, monitors, etc. will prevent another headache, such as a broken device or worse a cyberattack, down the road.
If the transition to remote work a few months ago left you in a panic, stressed, and just unsure what to do and how to make WFH work, then take a look at our What Didn’t Work When WFH and How You Can Fix It Cheat Sheet to be better prepared for next time.
