Working From Home Securely: What Business Laptops Actually Need

Working from home does not need a completely different security model. It needs the same business controls to keep working when the laptop leaves the office.

Use managed business devices where practical

A company laptop should be enrolled in the same device-management and security platform whether it is in the office, at home or travelling. That gives the business control over updates, endpoint protection, encryption and access policies.

Protect the identity as well as the device

Strong MFA and Conditional Access help limit what happens if a password is stolen. Where the risk warrants it, phishing-resistant methods such as passkeys or security keys provide stronger protection.

Keep home networking simple

Staff do not need to become network engineers. The useful basics are current router firmware, a strong Wi-Fi password, modern encryption and avoiding business access through obviously unsafe shared/public networks where practical.

Keep business data in managed applications

Files should stay in approved business storage rather than drifting into personal email, consumer cloud drives or unmanaged local folders. That makes recovery, access review and offboarding much easier.

Plan for a lost or damaged device

Staff should know who to contact immediately, and the business should be able to revoke access, investigate sign-ins and recover work without depending on the missing laptop.

Our mobile-security guide covers phones, while BYOD is a separate policy question. For the wider control baseline, use our Security Self-Check.