The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost all kinds of malicious software businesses. Due to obvious health concerns, it triggered sudden and radical changes in the way businesses operate, employees work, and people interact with each other.
While digital technology was already becoming more common in nearly every field before the public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the trend beyond imagination. It forced a large number of malicious software businesses to go online and people to be confined within their homes. As a result, in most companies, remote work and video conferencing replaced traditional in-office work and meetings.
This massive shift to online platforms and technologies has only worsened the cyber-security concerns.
How
the Covid-19 Pandemic Exacerbated Cybersecurity Concerns
1. Lack of Cybersecurity in the Home Office
One of the biggest changes that the pandemic has brought is the forced transition to malicious software working from home. Before the pandemic, about three-quarters of employees had never worked from home. Despite that, most offices didn’t provide any training on how to safely interact with corporate resources online.
Since most people have negligible knowledge about taking precautions and reinforcing their systems against online threats, they are easier targets for hackers and cybercriminals.
2. The Use of Unprotected Personal Systems and Equipment
The Global Security Insights Report revealed that about 80 percent of UAE organizations experienced cyber threats due to more employees working remotely or from home.
The fact that many companies didn’t provide their employees with corporate resources is enough to show how vulnerable corporate resources have become post-pandemic to digital threats, scams, attacks, and phishing.
According to experts, about one-fourth of PCs are not safeguarded with antivirus software, which makes these systems 5.5 times more vulnerable to being infected or targeted by hackers.
For desktops and laptop computers, the most common threats are Trojans, potentially unwanted programs (PUP), viruses, worms, and spyware. And every day, more than 350,000 new malicious programs are detected.
Besides, ransomware attacks have increased multiplefold in 2021, revealing that no industry and no device is safe from these malicious activities.
3. Unprotected Channels for Remote Work
In most offices, IT administrators keep an eye on the security of the Internet channel through firewalls and other cyber security techniques. However, when employees work from home, they install networking equipment on their own, which puts companies’ websites and data at risk heavily.
Things like Cloud documents, emails, attachments, instant messaging, and third-party services—all of them are vulnerable to online threats. Though some businesses may have escaped from such attacks, it takes only one mistake for a cyber disaster to strike.
Thus, organizations that offer their employees the choice of remote work and work from home must review their policies, educate their staff about cyber threats, and provide them with powerful antivirus software and other means to protect their systems.
4. Unsafe Usage of Collaboration Tools
With the rise of remote work, the demand for videoconferencing software and collaboration tools has surged. This popularity, however, has also caught the attention of hackers and malicious software cybercriminals.
Even legitimate video conference tools, like Microsoft Teams, have revealed security gaps. This may surprise some, but these tools can expose computers to control by outsiders. To stay safe, users should monitor, scan, and block any suspicious activities while using these platforms.
5. The Classic Scheme of Fake Payments
In the past two years, malicious emails related to welfare benefits have grown exponentially. These emails often pretend to be from trusted welfare organizations, promising full compensation in exchange for a small commission. Ultimately, victims never receive any compensation; instead, they fall prey to a scam.
Cybercriminals also exploit real news. For example, when Facebook announced grants for small businesses, scammers used this news to promote a fake payment scheme. They informed victims that payments were due to all platform users and directed them to apply. The application asked for sensitive information like account usernames, passwords, social security numbers, addresses, and ID copies. Through this scam, criminals made a significant profit.
6. The Rise of Covid-Themed Phishing
As people faced the challenges of COVID-19, cybercriminals took advantage of their fears. According to Google, Gmail blocked over 100 million Covid-19-related malware and phishing emails. Additionally, users reported receiving more than 240 million daily Covid-themed spam messages.
Scammers often pose as government departments or health officials. They instruct victims to provide personal details and login information, ultimately capturing sensitive data for criminal use.
These trends highlight the urgent need for proper measures to protect systems and users from digital crime.
How to Protect Yourself Against Cyber Risks, Scams, and Frauds
To avoid falling victim to cybercrime, install a powerful and cost-effective antivirus. It will shield your devices from viruses, malware, ransomware, rootkits, worms, and spyware. Antivirus software also protects against techniques that try to avoid detection and blocks targeted attacks.
In addition to antivirus protection, consider these precautions:
- Avoid clicking links from unknown sources.
- Don’t download email attachments from untrusted senders.
- Set up programs and devices securely, and use only corporate-approved software and devices.
- Request your employer to enhance security on company devices.
All devices, whether personal or corporate, need reliable protection.
Having reinforced them with advanced antivirus software can act as a strong defense layer between your devices and cybercriminals.
Author: TechBlonHub
As a passionate blogger, I'm thrilled to share my expertise, insights, and enthusiasm with you. I believe that technical knowledge should be shared, not hoarded. That's why I take the time to craft detailed, well-researched content that's easy to follow, even for non-tech. I love hearing from you, answering your questions, and learning from your experiences. Your feedback helps me create content that's tailored to your needs and interests