With an increased number of employees working from home during the ongoing pandemic, it is more important than ever for companies to be aware of potential attacks and provide support for telecommuting employees. According to a CSO Magazine surveyconducted in March 2020, more than 60% of security and IT leaders are concerned about an increase in cyberattacks targeting remote workers.
Cyberattacks were on the rise even before the pandemic shifted most of the workforce to remote operations. Companies were seeing the need for business recovery and security solutions prior to the impact of COVID-19 and that need is on the upswing. According to the Center for Internet Security's Security Operation Center, several of the following scams are on the rise during the pandemic.
Ransomware
Cybercriminals are capitalizing on the fear and uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic. Hackers are using the pandemic as a lure with the goal of attaining sensitive and proprietary data in exchange for a ransom. Taking a proactive approach to cyber habits is the best way to ward off ransomware attacks. Keep these best practices in mind:
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks
DDoS attacks put a stranglehold on a company's productivity and hackers are exploiting this kind of attack more often during the pandemic. The increased number of employees working remotely puts a strain on a company's system and resources so a business must be prepared to handle the additional stress. Companies who want to avoid DDoS attacks should take preemptive measures, including increasing available bandwidth and limiting non-essential activities such as video streaming.
Phishing Attacks
Hackers have been using phishing attacks more frequently in recent years and have upped their game when it comes to stealing information. Many phishing scams appear legitimate and look more sophisticated, making it difficult for users to recognize them as attacks.
Cybercriminals have begun using the pandemic to lure users into clicking, like ransomware attacks. For example, hackers might make an email message appear to be from a healthcare organization and include COVID-19 in the subject line. Users are likely to open the message and click on links within it because it looks like it originates from a legitimate healthcare organization and includes information about the pandemic. Remind employees to use caution when opening any email communications that come from outside the company.
Credential Stuffing
Credential stuffing, a cyberattack where stolen usernames and passwords are used to gain unauthorized access to user accounts through large-scale, automated log-in requests, is on the rise. Cybercriminals are exploiting weaknesses in password management systems which companies may have had to implement quickly when the shift to remote working occurred. Businesses should take care to implement multi-factor authentication on employee accounts to keep data as safe as possible.
Concluding Thoughts: Stay Vigilant with Technology
Staying vigilant in data protection is more important than ever. Employees will continue to work remotely for the foreseeable future, making it vital for companies to recognize the importance of data protection. Data security solutions have proven pivotal in mitigating and preventing data breaches and companies of all sizes benefit from comprehensive data services.
AJTC is an expert managed services provider and we partner with businesses to ensure data security solutions suited to your company's needs. Our professional, knowledgeable technology team will work with you to identify weaknesses in your existing systems and implement solutions to lock down your sensitive and proprietary information. Contact AJTC here or call 708.942.8200.
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