Author: Katie Langston | June 23, 2020
In mid-March, Forbes magazine reported that two cybercrime groups had voluntarily decided to refrain from issuing ransomware attacks against healthcare providers for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis. [i] It is unclear whether they have made good on that promise. What is clear is that many criminals are not taking a holiday during the crisis. Cyber-attacks are continuing, and companies and individuals are certainly at risk.
Unfortunately, the weakest link in an organization’s security is often its employees. It only takes one employee to click on a hyperlink or create a weak password to open a system up to exposure. With remote work on the rise during the Covid-19 crisis, risks expand as employees work on home networks, outside of the direct supervision of their employers.
Companies of all sizes are taking steps to minimize risks and bolster their cyber defenses. A big part of that is reducing the chance that employees will encounter a malicious e-mail. However, bad actors are very creative, and messages will still find a way inside. That is why it is very important to have a well-trained workforce who recognize suspicious messages and know what to do when they encounter them. A well-trained employee can also protect themselves from attacks against their personal systems, something that is especially important in this era of telework.
Here are some of the most essential safety tips for protecting yourself and your data from cyber-attacks.
[i] https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2020/03/19/coronavirus-pandemic-self-preservation-not-altruism-behind-no-more-healthcare-cyber-attacks-during-covid-19-crisis-promise/#1f067364252b
