In a few short months, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced massive change across the world. While governments are grappling with how to repair health and economic systems, cybercriminals have undoubtedly been taking advantage of this crisis. With the majority of organizations and individuals now working remotely from home, cybersecurity procedures may not be as straightforward as they once were.

Unfortunately, there is already evidence of hackers adapting to a post COVID-19 landscape. As most businesses find themselves working primarily in the digital world, cybercriminals have learned to alter their threats in order to capitalize on today’s remote workforces. Therefore, it is vital that your cybersecurity strategy also adapts to the changing landscape to keep your business well protected from the increasing threat of cyber attacks.

If the pandemic has radically altered how you operate, how can you ensure your organization remains safe and secure? Read on to learn more about the post COVID-19 technology risks you may encounter and what you can do to better protect your data and digital infrastructure in these uncertain times.

What Will Cybersecurity look like in a Post COVID-19 World?

• A Rise in Phishing and Ransomware Attacks: Thanks to COVID-19, there has been a rise in phishing and ransomware attacks. Hackers are posing as recognized brands to mislead employees and customers into believing COVID-19 related applications are legitimate. Individuals who click on links or download these applications will likely infect personal devices such as phones and computers. Organizations must take proactive measures to ensure that employees and customers remain vigilant when opening emails or links that are related to the subject COVID-19.
• Increased Risk from Remote Working: Now more than ever, VPN servers have become a lifeline to those who are working remotely. However, if your business is unprepared, it could lead to a security misconfiguration in VPNs and ultimately expose your sensitive information on the internet, increasing the risk of DoS attacks. Additionally, using personal computers to perform professional duties can also pose a major risk to your organization. Ensure that your VPN servers are safe and reliable, and only use work computers for official purposes.
• Detection and Response Delays: Detecting and responding to malicious activities online has been complicated by COVID-19. If security teams are not operational due to remote work, updating patches on systems can also pose a challenge. Therefore, organizations must evaluate existing security defences and refer to an external consultant to help strengthen areas where risks have been identified.
• Post COVID-19 Cybersecurity Posture: The pandemic has put a significant strain on the global economy. While pandemic strategies vary, many organizations may choose to downsize by cutting out certain business lines that they deem to be inessential, such as cybersecurity operations. While this may offer short-term benefits, it is likely to increase the chances of experiencing preventable cyber attacks in the future. To help your organization avoid this fate, update your business continuity plan and remote working practices while ensuring cybersecurity remains a high priority.

How GlassHouse Systems can Protect Your Business Post COVID-19 and Beyond

Whether we like it or not, the global pandemic has ushered in a new era of cybersecurity. As a result, we have raised our security standards to help you protect your company, employees and data from these new and heightened risks. At GlassHouse Systems, we believe that it is more important than ever to ensure you are increasing your awareness and follow safe cybersecurity practices at all times. Our technical support team has several years of experience in helping businesses like yours maintain a robust infrastructure by implementing coordinated security strategies that protect your interests from every angle. We offer a number of different cyber risk management services that are meant to boost your performance, while reducing the complexity and operating costs that come with managing your IT environment.

Contact us or leave a comment below to learn more on cybersecurity in the post COVID-19 world. Let GlassHouse Systems help your business maintain adaptability in the ever-changing digital landscape.

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