cyberattack

With more and more companies having to shift to a virtual office due to the onset of COVID-19, cybersecurity has also become an increasingly pertinent issue. Attackers have been using more sophisticated methods with increased efforts to launder money, disrupt opinions, and other fraudulent activities.

These attacks are only expected to increase during this crisis, and it’s imperative that both companies, as well as individual internet users, remain vigilant during this period.

Understanding the threats

Threats such as targeted ransomware, malware, and magecart are expected to increase during this period, and they’re usually used to target organisations like banks.

When companies shift to a WFH model, it may also result in security loopholes that can become an area of primary concern. Those working from home don’t have the bolstered security of an office environment, as most home networks usually have weaker protocols.

This will result in hackers having easier access to the network, and be able to send through phishing emails that have deceptive links and attachments. Google reported that more than 18 million phishing emails were sent through in April.

Also Read: Work-from-home: Watch out for cyberthreats amid COVID-19 pandemic

Once an employee clicks on the link, the hacker will be able to have access to the device and may even receive the employee’s personal information to cause harm to the company’s systems.

Another threat that’s on the rise in IoT and Drones. Most IoT devices have back doors that allow the manufacturer to access the device even after everything has already been assembled. Even self-driving vehicles aren’t in the clear as they have the potential to be hijacked.

Similarly, Drones can also be equipped with certain devices such as Wi-Fi sniffers that are used to intercept the information. These criminals will then be listening for any sensitive information or credentials to gain access to corporate networks.

Finally, you’ve got the threat of video conferencing. With the workforce expected to be working from home for a while, video conferencing has become an integral tool for most of us. Some video conferencing tools, however, have recently experienced breaches. There have been cases where someone unknown has managed to gain access to a video conference.

These potential breaches can result in the loss of sensitive information and are considered an invasion of privacy. In such situations, it’s recommended to:

Set meetings as private. You can either choose to set a password or control who will be able to enter the room.
When selecting your video conferencing tool, you’d want to take a look at the security requirements and what these individual vendors can offer.
Keep your VTC software up to date by installing the latest software updates.

Also Read: Meet the 9 cybersecurity startups graduated from ICE71’s 4th batch

Protecting yourself or your company from a cyberattack?

With so many imminent threats, what’s the best way forward? One of the easiest ways to protect yourself is to use strong passwords across all platforms and devices used. You should make sure that the passwords are not only strong but also unique and long. It’s also better to use machine-generated passwords, and you may even want to consider using a passphrase.

Email security is also key when you’re working from home. You should make sure that emails can only be accessed via a company’s VPN which helps to create a network connection that’s encrypted, and will require authentication of the user and/or device.

During this period, companies must take this opportunity to increase both the security of their businesses along with personal bank accounts as these few months has unfortunately resulted in a significant increase in all manners of hackers, scammers, and phishers.

If all of this seems overwhelming, you’ll just have to remember that cyberattacks are a sustained threat, and hence, there’s a need to take the necessary measures to protect your organisational data.

If you’re not sure where to begin, it’s a good idea to invest in a managed service provider that can help you with strengthening your security against ongoing threats.

–

Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. Become a thought leader in the community and share your opinions or ideas and earn a byline by submitting a post.

Join our e27 Telegram group, or like the e27 Facebook page

Image credit: Clint Patterson on Unsplash

The post Cybersecurity threats on the rise as companies shift to the WFH model appeared first on e27.