Undoubtedly, the coronavirus pandemic is the first time a biological virus has a significant impact on all sectors with an emphasis on the security industry. Cyber criminals may manipulate the vulnerabilities of medical facilities, houses, and factories to shield their protection. At the same time, several governments have rethought public protection and monitoring mechanisms to implement quarantines for coronavirus.
Despite that governments and companies are trying to reduce the effects of the current COVID-19 outbreak, social distancing initiatives contribute to a rise in remote work in all industries. The reasoning behind the interventions is best left to health authorities and is addressed elsewhere in depth.
The concept of working from home today isn’t entirely new. In fact, we are well-equipped to work away from the conventional bricks and mortar, because our cloud technology has grown a lot in recent years. Having said that, conducting tasks remotely poses dynamic problems from a variety of perspectives.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten global health, economic, political, and social structures, another unseen danger is growing in the digital space: the risk of cyberattacks that prey on our increased dependence on digital devices, and the volatility of the crisis.
Below are three reasons why effective cybersecurity initiatives are more relevant than ever:
Increased reliance on digital technology is increasing the cost of failure
In a pandemic of this magnitude-with recorded cases of coronavirus in more than 150 countries-digital communications dependency is multiplying. The Internet has become the medium for meaningful human interaction almost immediately, and the primary way in which we function, communicate and support one another. Businesses and organizations in the public sector are gradually providing or implementing policies on “work from home,” and social networks are progressively being limited to video calls, social media updates, and chat programs.
In today’s unparalleled context, a cyber-attack that deprives organizations or families of access to their computers, data or the Internet could be crippling and even deadly: in the worst-case scenario, broad-based cyber-attacks may lead to widespread infrastructure failures that render entire communities or cities offline, obstructing health care facilities, public services, and networks.
Cybercrime is harnessing fear and confusion
Cybercriminals take advantage of human vulnerability to bypass systemic defenses. In a crisis situation, particularly if prolonged, people tend to make mistakes, they wouldn’t otherwise have made. Online, making a mistake about which link you are clicking on or who you trust with your data will cost you a great deal. The vast majority of cyberattacks, which is about 98 percent, employ methods of social engineering according to some figures. Cyber criminals are incredibly creative in devising new ways to manipulate users and technology to access passwords, networks, and data, often capitalizing on common problems and trends to trick users into unsafe online behavior. Stress will incite users to take action that would otherwise be considered unreasonable.
More time online may result in more risky behavior
Unintentionally risky activity on the Internet increases with more time being spent online. For example, users might fall to obscure websites or pirated shows for “free” access, opening the door to possible malware and attacks. Similarly, demands for credit card information or deployment of specialized display applications may pose hidden risks. Clicking on the wrong connection or expanding surfing habits can often be extremely dangerous and expensive, and particularly during the pandemic.
So what can be done to lessen the cyber crimes?
Much as solving the COVID-19 pandemic involves modifying our social behaviors and practices to reduce infection rates, a shift in our online behavior will help to sustain high cybersecurity levels.
Here are three practical steps that you should take to remain secure online:
Step up the level of cyber safety
Take the time to study your digital hygiene habits in addition to washing your hands after any physical interaction to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and use an effective alcohol-based cleaning solution on your computer, keyboard, game controllers, and remote controls. Check that your home wifi has a long, complex router password and that network firewalls on your router are working. Be sure you don’t repeat passwords across the web (a significant investment is a password manager), and use a secure VPN to access the internet wherever possible.
Be extra cautious about the verification
Be much more vigilant while downloading apps and giving out some personal details than usual. Don’t click E-Mail links. When signing up for new services, check the origins of every URL to ensure that the original versions from a trusted source are the programs or software you are downloading. Digital viruses propagate just like real viruses; your possible online errors may very well contaminate those within your organization, an address book, or the wider community.
Follow updates from officials
Just as you pay attention to trustworthy data sources regarding COVID-19’s spread and effect, be sure to periodically update your system software and applications to fix any bugs that could be exploited. If you feel at any point that the advice you receive sounds odd-whether, the virus threat is offline or digital-check the Internet to see whether others have similar issues and look for a well-known source that can help verify the information’s validity.
Social activity of everyone is essential in avoiding the spread of harmful diseases in the physical world as well as in online presence.
