How Working at Home Affects Your Home Security

These days, the work world is changing rapidly. More and more people are working at home rather than commuting to the office each day. Whether it has to do with deciding to take on a career as a consultant or freelancer, or perhaps a change in direction at your existing job, working from home is becoming increasingly popular in the United States.


The change to working at home doesn't just mean you get to work in your pajamas. In fact, it can mean a major adjustment in terms of your day-to-day life. Now, you'll have to put up with distractions from family members as you're trying to work. In addition, there is much less division between your home life and your personal life, as they often occur in the same space.

This fact has far-reaching consequences that most people don't consider when they decide to work from home. Now, when a burglar breaks into your home, he is also breaking into your office. If the criminal knows that you work from home, your office might even become the target of attack. Home offices frequently contain expensive computers, digital cameras, and other electronics. These are sought after by criminals because they are so easily sold, providing the criminal with a quick payday.

If your work computer is stolen, it often means much more than simply the cost to replace it. Your laptop may contain years' worth of contacts and finished and unfinished work files, not to mention accounts containing sensitive information about you as well as your employer. In fact, the most financially damaging aspect of a criminal breaking into your home office might be the loss of information.

No matter what kind of home security you have protecting the rest of the house, you might want to invest in additional protection for your home office, such as individual door and window alarms and a sturdy lock on the door. In addition, you must recognize that the value in your home office lies not only in the resale value of electronic devices, but also in the information contained within them. Make a conscious effort to back up your work onto external hard drives, and keep these drives elsewhere, both in other rooms of the home and in locations away from the home. While this step can be tedious and may seem unnecessary, it can save you a lot of explaining if the laptop containing your files is ever stolen.

Those working at home should also reconsider telling everyone they do so. After all, this admission means telling people that you have a lot of expensive equipment in your house. If you do have a lot of electronics around, whether in your home office or for personal use, make sure not to keep them in plain sight, such as in a ground-floor room with a window that has no shades. This way, you won't draw as much attention to them, and will not become such a hot target of burglars.

While there has been a lot of publicity lately about avoiding "work at home scams," the dangers associated with working from home don't stop the minute you make the switch. Whether you are a full-time freelancer or just a workaholic who frequently takes work back to the home office, remember that part of having a home office is taking the necessary steps to protect it. After all, it's one thing if your personal possessions are stolen, but quite another if the burglar has directly impacted your ability to make a living.

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