The COVID-19 pandemic is a perfect storm of opportunity for cybercriminals. Hackers understand understand that these times of rapid transition can cause serious disruptions for organizations, which create vulnerabilities they can exploit to steal important information. As newly remote organization, how can you expect to employees working from home to not expose your network to danger?
Learn 3 Reasons Why Your Organization Needs
Mobile Device Management
Educate the Basics of Cyberthreats
Phishing
According to COMPUTERWORLD, the word “phishing” was coined around 1996 by hackers stealing America Online accounts and passwords. By analogy with the sport of angling, these Internet scammers were using e-mail lures, setting out hooks to “fish” for passwords and financial data from the sea of Internet users.
Phishing represents 98% of social incidents and 95% of all breaches investigated. By simply keeping yourself and your employees up to date on new phishing techniques, you can avoid falling prey to a scam.
It’s important for everyone to be extra vigilant with emails. If any one ever asks you for personal information or to purchase something over an email – whether or not they are from your company – always assume it is a phishing email. If you are not expecting to receive an email that has an attachment or a link, just don’t open it.
Malicious Email Attachments
If an email attachment seems suspicious, don’t open it, even if your antivirus software indicates that the message is clean. Attackers are constantly releasing new viruses, and the antivirus software might not have the signature. At the very least, contact the person who supposedly sent the message to make sure it’s legitimate before opening the attachment.
Refresh Things at the Corporate Level
Effective Passwords
The core rules about password hygiene still stand. Use a different password for every account, and make your passwords hard to guess. But cybersecurity experts say you can toss out three old rules:
- Never write your passwords down.
- Don’t tell anyone your passwords.
- Change your passwords frequently.
Restrict Employee Administrative Rights
Limiting user access might seem like an inconvenience, but mitigating the significant risks and costs associated with running with Administrator access is well worth it. We have seen firsthand the devastation that can occur when malware runs with full admin access. The cost for your business could be well over $10,000.
Monitor for Cyberthreats with Kraft IT
No matter the size or scale of your business, it’s important to educate your employees on potential security risks. Since remote work is apart of the foreseeable future, monitoring user activity and staying aware of cyber threats can ensure your database is left untouched by hackers. For a stricter security model, Kraft Business Systems’ Managed IT services can help monitor activity and keep your network free of damage. Interested in learning more? Contact our Kraft experts today. >
