COVID-19 vs Ransomware
The COVID-19 Pandemic is posing serious challenges to information security for firms of all sizes. As companies have sent some or all of their employees’ home to work remotely, security challenges are more than ever in the hands of those individuals. This presents staggering risks and all but a guarantee that company data will be breached. But it does not have to be one more disastrous risk that cannot be effectively mitigated.
Many employees are now working in a more relaxed and remote atmosphere that may distract them from working effectively. Security is certainly not a top concern nor are they being trained for this new job responsibility. While decision-makers and managers are overwhelmed with new operational challenges and financial concerns security is quickly being deprioritized. This has turned American businesses into easy targets for individuals with malicious intent.
Cybercriminal activity has skyrocketed. All industries are being targeted by very effective tactics. In our own business, we see all avenues of attack being targeted and our clients are unaware of the onslaught as our best-layered security solutions are effectively protecting all endpoints regardless of location. These are not prohibitively expensive solutions. However, we see businesses reverting to the mindset that, “We aren’t a target” and “We haven’t had a problem so we must be safe”, as the foundation of their internal quick risk assessment.
In many cases, IT providers are failing to stay current with technologies or simply lack the expertise to recommend proper security solutions that deal with today’s threats. These are the questions that need to be answered:
- How are the computers and networks of our remote workers being protected from threats like Malware, Phishing E-mail, Confidence Schemes, and Ransomware?
- How is company data being protected from Employee theft, loss, and breaches?
- How do we monitor malicious activity and how is that reported to business decision-makers?
Business decision-makers and managers need to include results of risk assessments, discussions with security professionals about risks, and security monitoring reporting in their regimen to ensure knowledgeable decisions can be made. Because today, the vast majority of our clients are introduced to us after the damage has been done. And, you would be surprised as to how devastating these breaches are and how these companies seat-of-the-pants risk assessments left them inadequately prepared for the blow to their bottom line.
Ransomware is the real boogeyman. Unlike many other forms of Malware, a firm will immediately become aware of the breach and debilitating effects of the attack when it strikes. Most firms fail to completely recover. Many fail to reopen. There is a solution to Ransomware that is highly effective and more affordable than disaster recovery. Ask your IT provider to guarantee you will not experience any downtime due to Ransomware. If the answer is No then you need to reprioritize security.