You're a computer graphics professional working remotely. How can you ensure your work is secure?

Working remotely as a computer graphics professional can offer many benefits, such as flexibility, autonomy, and creativity. However, it also comes with some challenges, especially when it comes to securing your work and protecting your data. Whether you are creating animations, models, visual effects, or games, you need to ensure that your work is not compromised, stolen, or corrupted by malicious actors or technical issues. Here are some tips on how to ensure your work is secure when working remotely.

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1 Encrypt your devices

One of the most basic steps you can take to secure your work is to encrypt your devices, such as your laptop, tablet, or external hard drive. Encryption is a process that scrambles your data and makes it unreadable without a key or a password. This way, if your device is lost, stolen, or hacked, your work will not be accessible to anyone who does not have the key or the password. You can use built-in encryption tools on your devices, such as BitLocker on Windows or FileVault on Mac, or use third-party software or hardware encryption solutions.

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Jonathan Kalmes

Co-owner and photographer at We Go Far, A Real Estate Media Company. Providing photo and video for agent branding and their listings in the Jacksonville & St. Augustine areas.
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I've found that devices that are already designed to handle their own internal encryption are generally faster and more stable than "bolt on" options. Of course, much of that depends on the manufacturer and their track record of keeping devices up to date and including on-going support. This is where the big name companies can generally do a better job than smaller startups.

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Cécile MUSABYEMARIYA

Assistant Lecturer at Rwanda Polytechnic Tumba College, Master of Science in Internet of Things-Wireless Intelligent Sensor Networking
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Utilize secure communication channels such as encrypted emails or messaging platforms to share sensitive information. Regularly update your software and operating systems to patch vulnerabilities and enhance security. Use strong, unique passwords for all accounts and consider implementing multi-factor authentication where possible. Store work files on encrypted drives or cloud storage platforms with robust security measures. Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi networks and use a virtual private network (VPN) for added security when accessing work-related resources remotely.

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2 Use a VPN

Another way to secure your work is to use a virtual private network (VPN) when you connect to the internet. A VPN is a service that creates a secure and encrypted connection between your device and a remote server. This means that your online activities and data are hidden from your internet service provider, hackers, or anyone who might be snooping on your network. A VPN can also help you access geo-restricted content or bypass censorship if you work in different countries or regions. You can choose from various VPN providers, depending on your needs and budget.

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3 Backup your work

Even if you encrypt your devices and use a VPN, you still need to backup your work regularly and store it in a safe location. Backing up your work means creating copies of your files and folders and saving them in a different device or location than the original. This way, if your device crashes, gets damaged, or gets infected by malware, you can still recover your work and avoid losing hours or days of progress. You can backup your work using external hard drives, cloud storage services, or online backup services.

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Jonathan Kalmes

Co-owner and photographer at We Go Far, A Real Estate Media Company. Providing photo and video for agent branding and their listings in the Jacksonville & St. Augustine areas.
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Backups are critical in my opinion. As images and video get higher resolution and more layers, the files can become exponentially larger. The industry as a whole has done a pretty good job of keeping up with this by leveraging larger and faster storage at every step. Unfortunately, this is often at the cost of sacrificing a good backup strategy. The effects of an inferior (or non-existent) backup process can be disastrous, especially as we continually have more and more data we are dependent on. A good backup strategy is one of the things someone with an IT background can easily use to safeguard clients' data.

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4 Update your software

Keeping your software updated is another important step to secure your work. Software updates are patches or fixes that developers release to improve the performance, functionality, or security of their products. They often address vulnerabilities or bugs that hackers can exploit to access your device or data. Therefore, you should always install the latest updates for your operating system, applications, antivirus, and firewall as soon as they are available. You can enable automatic updates or check for updates manually on your devices.

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Jonathan Kalmes

Co-owner and photographer at We Go Far, A Real Estate Media Company. Providing photo and video for agent branding and their listings in the Jacksonville & St. Augustine areas.
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Updating is critical in today's far paced environment, but it requires some thought. With AI being so prevalent, vendors are constantly pushing out updates that are really just poorly tested betas so they can say how proactive they are. Jumping on this bandwagon can often leave you with broken software or files that your clients can't use (many of them may update only when forced to). This can destroy deadlines and ultimately cost you clients.

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5 Follow best practices

Finally, you should follow some best practices when working remotely to secure your work. For example, you should use strong and unique passwords for your devices and accounts, and change them regularly. You should also avoid using public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks, or use a VPN if you have to. You should also be wary of phishing emails or messages that try to trick you into clicking on malicious links or attachments, or giving away your personal or financial information. You should also lock your screen or log out when you are not using your device, and avoid leaving it unattended or in plain sight.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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You're a computer graphics professional working remotely. How can you ensure your work is secure?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Encrypt your devices

2 Use a VPN

3 Backup your work

4 Update your software

5 Follow best practices

6 Here’s what else to consider

Computer Graphics

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You're a computer graphics professional working remotely. How can you ensure your work is secure?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Encrypt your devices

2 Use a VPN

3 Backup your work

4 Update your software

5 Follow best practices

6 Here’s what else to consider

Computer Graphics

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