decrypting myths
How to protect
against cyberattacks
when working
from home during
COVID-19
Companies can take relatively
straightforward steps to
ensure effective cybersecurity
for remote working during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Ryan
Olson, Vice President, Threat
Intelligence (Unit 42) at
Palo Alto Networks,
explains how businesses
can protect themselves
against cyberattacks.
s we navigate the
A
challenges posed
by COVID-19 and
the need to halt
the spread of the
deadly pandemic,
many of us have
settled into a routine of working from
home. This can pose many difficulties,
including how to maintain focus, how
to balance other priorities, such as
childcare, and how to be productive
without requisite tools or dedicated
office space, not to mention the struggle
to avoid raiding the whole snack
cupboard in one day.
There are compromises to be found
for many of these challenges in what
we hope will be a relatively shortterm
arrangement. What we must not
compromise on is security.
Many cybercriminals are seeking to
exploit our thirst for information as a
vector for attack. Most commonly, as
with other high-profile events, attackers
are using COVID-19 themed phishing
emails, which purport to deliver
official information on the virus, to lure
individuals to click malicious links that
download Remote Administration Tools
(RATs) on their devices.
In addition, there have been multiple
reported cases of malicious COVID-19
related Android applications that give
attackers access to smartphone data or
encrypt devices for ransom. The global
pandemic has also led to the creation of
more than 100,000 new COVID-19 web
domains, which should be treated with
Individual users must
be empowered to
follow the guidance
provided to them by
organisations and
take preventative
measures.
www.intelligentciso.com | Issue 28
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