As I ramp up for season 2 of the “Freelancer’s Guide to Cybersecurity” podcast, I’ve been busy with other things too! Mostly work, of course, but also speaking events about cybersecurity and medical writing/editing. I haven’t been good about posting those events, so in a new commitment to posting upcoming events, I’m posting the next event here (although with really short notice).
At this year’s American Medical Writers Association conference (#AMWA2021), I will present a new session, “The Medical Writer’s Guide to Cybersecurity,” intended to address the challenges of security when working from a home office–regardless of whether you’re an employee or freelancer. Many, if not most, medical writers and editors work remotely at least part of the time these days. This poses its own special challenges for online privacy and security, so we’ll talk about that on 28 October at AMWA 2021. I hope you’ll attend and bring your questions for the chat!
Cybercrime against professionals working from home soared in 2020, providing cybercriminals with new, easy targets for theft of personal information, corporate data, and, of course, money. In-house or freelance, many medical communicators work from a home office. For some, the line between personal and professional blurs in this space, with Wi-Fi networks, mobile devices, and even computers pressed into shared service, amplifying potential security vulnerabilities. Often professionals don’t recognize these vulnerabilities until tragedy strikes: viruses and malware attack, a financial account is compromised, or data are taken for ransom. This can be heartbreaking when personal information is stolen or destroyed, but the loss or ransoming of clients’ or employers’ proprietary information can be devastating for a professional’s reputation.
In this session, learn about common vulnerabilities and the inexpensive tools and best practices for maintaining online privacy and cybersecurity—at home and on the road.