Why is cybersecurity needed now in a post-COVID-19 world? Let’s find out.
Cybersecurity Now Amid COVID-19
Our world has turned upside down because of the pandemic. It also drastically changed our lives.
But it doesn’t only affect our health and safety. As our society deals with preventing the spread of the virus, it also raised issues in other areas.
For one thing, cybersecurity threats became more prevalent. In many businesses and companies, cybercrime has always been a concern. And the global pandemic puts them at even higher risk.
Reasons Why Cybersecurity is Needed Now
Reports show that cybercrime has increased by 600% since the start of COVID-19. And this is because hackers use Covid-related scams and threats.
Cybercriminals also take advantage of types of confusion now. Because we are stressed about many things, it can be difficult for us to identify lies from these hackers.
They may use COVID-19 as a theme for their phishing scams. And they can trick us to give our personal information, such as credit card details and more.
Also, people are desperate for information about the latest news of the virus. So it’s easier for cybercriminals to misinform people.
They also use enticing headlines about updates from the governments to convince people to click on malicious links. Little did we know, malware is hiding behind that.
And these concerns are already happening. For example, a Russian cybersecurity company found 500 cases of fake emails to 403 of its customers.
Another concern comes from the surge in work-from-home setup. Because of the social distancing protocols, companies had to adapt promote work.
But, it opened up more targets for hackers. That’s because home computers may not have the same security ask company offices have. So they are more vulnerable to attacks.
In the financial and legal sectors, this threat is very serious. If hackers can access the bank or legal records of their clients, the consequences are catastrophic.
It can cause a massive breach and privacy because of a data leak. Worse, they can hold it, hostage, through ransomware.
So how can we protect ourselves with cybersecurity?
Weathering the Cybercrime Wave
For many years now, risks continue to increase. No matter how much technology improved, attacks are also getting more sophisticated.
So, we should take greater care when it comes to protecting our security. What can we do?
For companies, the first step is to inform ourselves about cybersecurity protocols. By knowing the basics of cybersecurity habits, we can apply them on our own.
Today, ransomware and phishing are actively used by cybercriminals. So, we should be wary of them.
It’s important to pay attention to suspicious emails, especially because they look legit. So we should always double-check anything we receive about COVID-19.
Even those emails that came from a seemingly trusted source can be a trap. So we should check if the website is secure.
Companies should also have the right security tools. But, security managers should make sure that all employees can access it even from home. As a result, they can have strong security when accessing company resources.
Finally, companies need to have a data breach response plan. If this protocol is in place, you can handle the situation effectively.
