I've spent the summer dealing with the nightmare of personal identity theft and that has prompted me to touch on the importance of protecting customer information when working from home. As careful as we may try to be, sometimes it is overlooked items that are tossed in the trash, outside hacking or a computer taken in for repair that that expose information and open the door for identity theft.  I thought I'd share some things that we, who work from home can do to ensure that our customer information stays safe, secure and PRIVATE!

Security
Do you have security software installed to minimaze breeches to the information you have stored?  If your position doesn't require you to go online, you aren't at high risk unlike those who must go online regularly.
Secure your processor from hacking, viurses, spamware either by subscribing to a monthly service, or purchasing security software at the store.

VPN
Inquire whether your employer has a secure VPN or other system where you can access and maintain customer information/accounts without storing their personal identifiable information on your personal computer. They would not only maintain access to these documents in case you terminate your employment, but they would also be responsible for maintaining security.  The other benefit is that information on the VPN is backed up by your employer, so you aren't at risk of losing important information. Just make sure you always log off and don't use public computers to access the VPN.

Shred
Invest in a shredder!  If you do need to work with hard copies of customer information, be sure to keep any documents with identifiable information secure and shred when no longer needed.

Take a few steps to ensure the safety and security of your customer's peronal & identifiable information.  It is one of the most important things you will do for your career, and something your customer's will be so thankful for!