Protect Your Business from Aggressive Coronavirus-Focused Cyberattacks

Protect Your Business from Aggressive Coronavirus-Focused Cyberattacks

The current COVID-19 pandemic is causing confusion for organizations of all sizes, and great opportunities for hackers. Don’t let these cybercriminals take advantage of your business!  

Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel is well-known for his quote: “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” Unfortunately, cybercriminals are the ones who are listening, and they are taking full advantage of the confusion caused by the current COVID-19 crisis. With wide swaths of the American public working from home under quickly-defined circumstances, it’s a haven for the type of attack that hackers love to launch. Maintaining a secure and reliable IT infrastructure in the face of overwhelming odds may be what differentiates businesses that are able to thrive from those that simply muddle their way through the coming months. See how staying cognizant of the dangers facing our businesses can help you weather the storm — and even come out on top as the pandemic furor subsides.

Cybercriminals Are Exploiting the Confusion around Remote Working Conditions

Even if you have robust remote work procedures in place, it can be challenging to suddenly deploy these standards to your entire organization at once. Everything from having the right hardware and software licenses to ensuring that your remote security levels are at proper levels can easily trip up even the most well-prepared internal IT teams. When you add in the propensity of hackers to take advantage of your muddled staff, it’s a recipe for disaster that teams are struggling to overcome.

Educate your staff to be aware of these potential risks:

• There’s no miracle cure. Hackers are sending emails, direct messages on social media and links on valid-looking websites with the message that everyone wants to hear: There’s a miracle cure for COVID-19. Unfortunately, this information is more than likely malware that will track keystrokes and watch your every move online or ransomware that will encrypt your files until the ransom is paid.
• Temporarily halt all wire transfers. Cybercriminals are really tugging at the heartstrings of Americans, with direct calls and messages stating that a family member is in the hospital with coronavirus and needs money to cover their medical bills. Unfortunately, this is a scam attempting to bilk Americans of thousands of dollars. Generally, hackers will request the money be sent via wire transfer — but you will never see those funds again!
• Don’t give out your password. Individuals may call you and claim to be from Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon or the IRS and claim that they need your password in order to make some update to your account. These are simply hackers attempting to gain access to your personal computer so they can use them as a gateway to break into your corporate accounts.

Just as you’re practicing social distancing and keeping your hands washed, it’s also important to follow these tips to keep your technology safe.

Are you confident that your company is prepared for the ongoing digital disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic? The IT professionals at Intelice have prepared a wealth of information to help you get through these difficult times and stay protected against the attacks that are coming at your organization from all sides. Learn more about maintaining secure and reliable business operations when you contact the professionals at Intelice Solutions at {phone} or fill out our quick online form to schedule your complimentary initial consultation. Our consultants know how to keep your employees connected and your business productive during these difficult times.