Remote work blurs the line between personal and professional digital life in ways that create real privacy risks — for you and for your employer. Here's how to work from home without compromising either.
Keep Work and Personal Devices Separate
The most important thing you can do. Your employer's IT team may have monitoring software on company devices that logs keystrokes, screenshots, and website visits. If you use your work laptop for personal tasks, that data is potentially visible to your employer.
Conversely, using personal devices for work creates risks the other direction: malware or data on your personal device could expose company data, and you may be violating company policy or creating personal liability.
If you only have one computer, use separate browser profiles at minimum — one for work, one for personal. This doesn't solve the monitoring problem but separates your browsing data.
Secure Your Home Network
Your home router is the entry point for all your connected devices. Change your router's default admin password — default credentials are publicly known and allow anyone on your network to change router settings.
Use WPA3 encryption if your router supports it (or WPA2 at minimum). Check your router's settings to make sure you're not using WEP, which is trivially crackable.
Create a separate Wi-Fi network for work devices using your router's guest network feature. This isolates work traffic from your smart home devices, personal computers, and family members' devices.
Video Call Privacy
Consider your background before joining video calls. A visible bookshelf, artwork, window view, or mail on the counter can reveal your location and personal details. Use a virtual background or a physical backdrop.
Also consider: your camera's field of view may include more than you realize. Check before calls what's visible.
Employer Monitoring
If you use a company-issued device, assume it's monitored. Many companies install software that takes periodic screenshots, logs all websites visited, records keystrokes, and tracks which applications are open and for how long. This is legal in most US states and companies are not required to disclose the specifics of what's being monitored (though many do in their employment agreements — worth reading).
Use a Work VPN Only for Work
If your company provides a VPN, use it only when accessing company resources — not for personal browsing. When you're on a company VPN, your employer can see all your traffic. If you need a VPN for personal use, use a personal VPN on a personal device.
Personal Communications on Work Devices
Avoid it entirely. Email, Slack messages, and browser activity on work devices may be logged and retained by your employer indefinitely. Use your personal phone for personal communications during the workday.