It may have started small, but at this point, there is absolutely no avoiding it. The Coronavirus has taken over the headlines as it has spread to over 114 countries around the world.
Now officially a pandemic, there are very few aspects of our daily lives that haven’t been at least put on notice for potential disruptions. Cybersecurity, which today permeates into nearly aspect of our society, is no exception.
Already hackers are latching on to the uncertainty and panic and are looking for a way to breach your security. By using scare tactics and buzzwords they believe they will be able to find an entry way to your most sensitive areas.
CBS News has reported that there has been a noticeable spike in criminal activity across the digital realm, and it has been clearly following the path of the virus to find the areas that are most vulnerable to attack. So far the majority of these attacks have been focused in Asia, where the virus originated, but attackers are moving their sites towards Europe and the United States will certainly be a target as the number of cases begins to grow.
So far, phishing attacks have been the weapon of choice for the hackers, who know that in a time of crisis, the odds are more likely for someone to open up a message without giving its origin full consideration.
Italy has been hit hard by these attacks, with over 10% of their health organizations being targeted by one source in particular which tries to get users to open up a word document claiming to have been sent by a Doctor from the WHO.
Already the World Health Organization (WHO) has been attempting to combat these attacks by releasing a statement warning of these tactics. In their statement they assure all medical professionals that they will never ask them to break safety procedures, even during a pandemic like the one currently being faced.
But what can you do to remain safe in a time of increased risk, especially when the stakes were already so high?
The first step, of course, is to remain calm while making certain to prioritize personal health for yourself and your community.
From there, if you’re a CISO, your focus is most likely going to turn towards how to keep your organization secure despite the abnormal circumstance.
Primarily, you are going to want to reinforce the ideas you are already pushing: Data Integrity, System Availability and Information Confidentiality.
However, depending on your organization, it’s possible the onset of extreme caution and social distancing has brought forth changes that may alter how you go about daily business. For many companies and educational institutions, this has meant a rapid move towards teleworking, or remote work.
Depending on the scale of your operation and the resources you (or your team of IT professionals), this move could be a minor nuisance or a nearly impossible undertaking.
Unfortunately there is no one-size-fits-all solution, as each situation is going to have its own set of requirements and variables. The added pressure to manage this transition in a way that is secure adds a new dimension of complexity.
For organizations that are uncertain if they are able to handle this process on their own, Continu Security Solutions wants to offer a helping hand. We have over 20 years of providing custom solutions for organizations hoping to make sure their Information Technology infrastructure is properly handled.
Contact us today for a free consultation, we would love to help you through this uncertain time as best as we can.
Continū helps asset owners act on the knowledge that their data is at risk right now and is only as secure as their ability to detect and respond to all threats.
