kamran sharief Cyber-Attacks are increasing and evolving during this global pandemic. Online hackers attacks that have affected the most vulnerable and consequently the most affected companies are and will remain small and medium-sized businesses. The rapid and impromptu implementation of teleworking as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 has surprised many companies, exposing significant cybersecurity gaps.
Computer hackers attack hit many companies during those two months. Hackers have benefited from this as they can better access personal and business data due to the lower protective barriers due to the massive use of unprotected teleworking. Attacks that have resulted in the loss of customer information, theft of financial data, strategic plans, fraudulent charges on corporate accounts, and even email spoofing.
According to the Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab, SMEs account for 43% of cyberattacks carried out on the network.
With the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and the fact that employees at home cannot physically reach their workstations, VPN connections and remote access services have become important tools to ensure business continuity. Until now, they were just support channels that had little activity on the network, so many companies had neglected security measures for this. But now things have changed, and they have become the main channels that provide most of the access to information and resources in companies. As a result, this change has increased risk and vulnerabilities in data access and an open door for attackers.
There are different types of cyberattacks that companies can suffer. Some of these can be spyware, phishing, Trojans, denial of service (DDoS), ransomware, etc. Although cyberattacks can never be 100% prevented, yes, it is important to know them and know how to prevent them.
How do the Attacks Occur?
- Most attacks follow a similar pattern of behavior, which is summarized in
- You examine and analyze the information available in the company in order to identify possible weak points.
- They look for flaws in the system that allow them to access and exploit this vulnerability.
- They gain unauthorized access by using the security breach.
- And They attack the system based on the established target.
Can Attacks Be Prevented?
The truth is that there is no single solution to prevent an attack, but it is advisable to follow a series of recommendations that can help mitigate it. We are talking about:
- Use strong passwords and double-check if possible. While it seems obvious, there are still many people and companies that use intuitive and easily cracked passwords. We recommend combining numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and symbols. In the current situation of teleworking, it is also important that the WIFI router networks in the employees’ homes also have passwords and are not open.
- Help yourself with security solutions such as installing antivirus and anti-malware. Whenever possible, it recommended that telecommuting companies implement antivirus and anti-malware systems on their devices.
- Implement corporate security protocols that prevent the sending of data and information through unknown or unreliable websites.
- Browse the Internet carefully and carefully; do not click on banners, pop-up ads, or download programs from suspicious sources. Download only the official versions of the programs.
- Verify the authenticity of emails, as emails are a quick and easy entry point for malicious attacks.
- Avoid giving personal information online or revealing confidential information online, as this is one of the easiest ways to receive cyber attacks.
- Make frequent backups. This is important because, in the hackers event of a cyberattack. It will be easier to recover lost or compromised information.
Taking into account the current situation and the anticipation of the continuity of work activity through teleworking, companies are advised. To apply all the relevant security measures in order to minimize the risk of a cyberattack and thus avoid serious problems associated with it. Accept for the company.