Tips for Working From Home

Categories: End Users Howtos Information Instruction

For those of you thinking about or planning to work from home, it’s a good idea to make sure your home computer and technology equipment is updated and safe to use. Whether it’s making you’re your antivirus software is up to date or verifying your internet service is adequate for hosting or attending web-meetings, it’s important to be prepared in case of needing to work remotely. Below, we have compiled a list of resources for you and have listed some general tips for working securely from home. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your Computer Support Specialist or the university’s helpdesk at helpdesk@okstate.edu or 405-744-4357.

Great Resources

Department of Information Technology’s Working from Home Information Page includes guides on setting up Remote Desktop and OSU’s Virtual Private Network (VPN), as well as links to guides for Canvas, myOKSTATE, and forwarding your office phone to another number.

DASNR IT’s Support Portal is DASNR IT’s landing page with links to Contact Information, Technical Resources, and Cooperative Conversations – In-service trainings on various tech topics.

Spotlight on DASNR IT Blog contains articles on various topics including how to stay safe online and other guides and trainings.

Making Sure Your Antivirus or Antimalware Software Is up to Date

If you are running Windows 10 at home, make sure the built in Windows Defender is current and running. You can check for any updates by opening the Settings app >> Go to Update & Security >> and clicking on Check for Updates.

It’s also recommended to have a secondary application to run scans occasionally. DASNR IT recommends Malwarebytes or Avast.

Downloading the Latest Microsoft Office 365 Software

It’s very important to make sure whichever computer you are using remotely has the latest software available from Microsoft. This guide will help you install the latest version of Microsoft Office 365, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Skype for Business, which is a great tool for communicating with other Faculty or Staff from the university.

Uploading Your Files to the Cloud

It’s a good idea to setup and enable OneDrive using your university OKEY account. With 1 terabyte of storage space per person, it will allow you to access your files from any computer or device that has internet access. Here is the university’s guide for OneDrive.