Working Remotely

For staff members approved for remote work, we recommend investing in the following equipment to ensure you are well prepared to work from home. Refer to the Human Resource Flexible Work website for additional information.

What You Need at Home

• Microphone – this may be built into your laptop or computer, or you may use an external device such as a USB microphone or headset for a better experience for your meeting participants.
• Webcam – a camera may already be built into your laptop, but you can also use an external USB camera for video conferencing. 

View recommended external microphones and webcams if you choose to equip your home office.

• Internet – Invest in a fast internet connection for enhanced productivity. For staff members who participate in video calls, a good connection is especially important. Faulty connections or pixelated and laggy videos inhibit collaboration.  View recommended bandwidth for video conferencing provided by Zoom to ensure you will have a good computing experience. You could also look into investing in a mobile hotspot in the event you lose internet connection. 

Use Your WFU-Issued Computer

Staff with WFU-issued computers should continue to use their WFU-issued computer for work, rather than a personal device. Confirm CrashPlan is running on your primary machine. Consider backing up all of your data using one of the several solutions available to you. View the Cloud Storage Comparison Matrix to learn more about each service.

Keep it Secure

Data security is more important than ever when working away from the office. Always follow these recommendations to ensure data privacy and security when working remotely. 

• Locate your remote work area in a place where any audible or viewable information will not be overheard/seen/accessed by any unauthorized individual.
• Properly secure all confidential information in any form (electronic or paper) at all times.
• Ensure paper documents containing confidential information are secured until they can be properly shredded. (i.e., do not dispose of them in the trash or recycle bin).
• Secure electronic devices when not in use (i.e., lock screens).
• Use only a secure network for remote work; do not use public wired and wireless networks as they are not considered secure.
• Use the VPN network when carrying out specific tasks, such as accessing certain campus resources, such as Banner, Cognos, on-premises servers, and the WFU WordPress environment. You do not need to use VPN to access cloud services, such as Gmail, Google Workplace, and Workday.
• The Policy on Responsible and Ethical Use of Computing Resources remains in effect and must be followed.

The infosec@wfu.edu address can be used to report any security or data privacy concerns while working remotely.