AM Exclusive Technicity Newsletter Issue 8 Small Business Leaders Edition | Page 2
CYBERCRIMINALS ARE
COUNTING ON YOU LETTING
YOUR GUARD DOWN DURING
THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC –
HERE’S HOW TO STOP THEM
The world is slowing down
during this COVID-19
pandemic. Wall Street is
being hit hard. People are
no longer going out. We’re
told to quarantine or self-isolate and
not engage in groups.
You can bet there’s one group that’s
not slowing down at all. In fact, they’re
probably working overtime while the
rest of us have our lives turned upside
down. Cybercriminals and hackers
know there’s no better time to strike
than during a global crisis. While you
are distracted and spending your
time trying to make sense of this new
normal, they are finding new ways
into your IT network so they can steal
data and passwords, compromise your
clients’ private information, and even
demand large ransoms.
Cybercrime is already on the rise
and is expected to cause $6 trillion
in damages by 2021! But, if history
repeats itself, hackers will be out in
full force throughout this coronavirus
scare. We fully expect in the
upcoming weeks that headlines will
change from stories about COVID-19
to accounts of a frenzy of cyberattacks
on corporations and small
businesses.
Here are solutions you can implement
now to help protect your business
data, money, and productivity:
1. BE MORE SUSPICIOUS OF
INCOMING EMAILS.
Because people are scared and
confused right now, it’s the perfect
time for hackers to send emails with
dangerous malware and viruses. At
this moment, your in-box is probably
filled with “COVID-19” subject lines
and coronavirus-focused emails.
Always carefully inspect the email
and make sure you know the sender.
There’s a cdc-gov email address out
there now that’s not legitimate and
is spamming in-boxes across the
country.
Avoid clicking links in the email
unless it’s clear where they go. And
you should never download an
attachment unless you know who sent
it and what it is. Communicate these
safeguards to everyone on your team,
especially if they are working from
home.
2. ENSURE YOUR WORK-FROM-
HOME COMPUTERS ARE SECURE.
Another reason we expect a rise in
cyber-attacks during this pandemic is
the dramatic increase in employees
working from home. Far too many
employers won’t think about security
as their team starts working at the
kitchen table. That’s a dangerous
precedent.
First, make sure your employees
are not using their home computers
or devices when working. Second,
ensure your work-from-home
computers have a firewall that’s
turned on. Finally, your network
and data are not truly secure unless
your employees utilize a VPN (virtual
private network). If you need help in
arranging your new work-from-home
environment, we would be happy to
get your entire team set up.
3. IMPROVE YOUR PASSWORD
STRATEGY.
During crises like the one we are all
facing right now, your passwords
could mean the difference between
spending your time relearning how
to grow your business and trying
to recoup finances and private data
that’s been hacked. Make a point now
to reevaluate your passwords and
direct your team to create stronger
passwords.
Also, while it’s so convenient to save
your passwords in your web browser,
it is not secure at all. Because web
browsers simply require their own
password or PIN to access saved
passwords, a skilled hacker can
bypass this hurdle. Once they access
your saved passwords, they can steal
as much as they want—credit card
information, customers’ private data,
and more!
Instead, you should consider a
password manager to keep your
passwords organized and protected
with dual factor authentication.
Ideally, your business and personal
passwords should be in separate
systems.
You, your team, and your family have
enough to concern yourselves with
in regard to staying healthy, living a
more isolated lifestyle, and keeping
your business strong. There’s no need
to invite in more problems by letting
your computer and network security
slide during these times.
If you need additional security advice
regarding your remote work setup,
email protection, password systems,
or would like to have a consultation
to discuss how to keep your data safe,
simply connect with us today.