COVID-19 has upended millions of lives around the world. To try to contain the virus, many people have been forced to work from home. Businesses have been required to close their doors temporarily. However, one of the biggest consequences of the virus might be harder to see. Does COVID-19 pose a cyberthreat?
COVID-19: Greater Risk Of Attack At Home
One of the biggest reasons why COVID-19 might be posing a cyberthreat is because of the rise of people working from home. If you’re running a business, it might be easier for you to build a strong firewall to protect your network. However, when at home, this firewall won’t be able to help your employees.
This is combined with another big issue. Most people don’t have the training to recognize a potential threat. For example, clicking a link in an email might be all the hacker needs to gain control of their laptop. Because of these factors, cybercriminals might have a larger pool of potential victims to target. It should be noted that this attack might be able to affect businesses in all sectors of the economy.
Companies Are Also At Risk
While some hackers might focus on smaller companies, others will want to go after the bigger organizations. If your security isn’t up to date, you might be at risk of having your data breached or stolen. This has happened to several large companies recently. For example, smartwatch company Garmin was taken offline because it was breached by hackers. Also, Australian television ratings couldn’t be reported after a ransomware attack. It’s believed that as hackers become more sophisticated these kinds of attacks will become more common.
Protecting Yourself From the COVID-19 Cyberthreat
The prospect of getting attacked by a hacker is very concerning. Thankfully, there are a few simple techniques that you can use to protect yourself. First, you want to make sure that you’re using strong passwords, which you change recently. You might also want to make sure that you’re keeping your software updated and making your home network as strong as possible. It can also help to make sure that you’re avoiding opening any suspicious emails and aren’t downloading any suspect applications. Generally, though, you’ll need to remain vigilant.
For businesses, it’s always wise to invest in services that will allow you to improve your online security. This can include things like a security firm that can help you identify and stop online threats from occurring. It’s important to remember that both large and small companies can be at risk from an online attack, so you want to make sure that you’re taking preventative steps.
Conclusion
The rise of people working from home during COVID-19 has seen a huge rise in the potential of a cyberattack. Often, home networks will be more vulnerable to attack, especially if people aren’t as familiar with some of the online risks to look out for. However, businesses can also be at risk from a cyberattack, with many big names getting hacked recently. As a result, during this time we’ll need to pay close attention to both our physical and online security.
