Learn why spam and phishing emails are on the rise. Get tips to protect your business. Find out why having your employees work from home creates new vulnerabilities.
As an unprecedented number of businesses send their employees home, they also open their networks and IT systems to a new set of vulnerabilities. While the coronavirus spreads through the world, creating panic and uncertainty, cybercriminals are taking advantage of remote workers and stressed IT systems by sending out spam and phishing emails. If you are transitioning to a remote workforce, you need to be aware of these risks and have procedures in place to protect yourself.
As governors around the country issue shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders, non-essential businesses are sending their workers home. While many have been forced into unemployment or paid leave, others can stay productive while at home. One survey indicates that 85% of companies have sent over half their workers home.
While working from home, employees access company files and data on their own devices, outside of on-site firewalls, and this shift creates new vulnerabilities in IT environments.
Over a third of executives surveyed reported that cyberthreats have increased as they have shifted to remote teams, and one reported a 40% increase in cyber attacks. The real numbers may be higher.
Mirian Wugmeister from Morrison & Foerster’s global privacy and data security group says that “The bad guys know that every IT department and cybersecurity group is currently overwhelmed and stretched.” Criminals are opportunists, and they leverage situations like the coronavirus to their advantage.
To protect your business from the uptick in cyberattacks, you should consider working with a San Jose computer network security company. They can help you set up security measures such as antivirus software, spam filters, and IT support for remote workers, and they can guide you toward the best practices and solutions as you shift from an in-house team to a remote team.
Keep these tips in mind:
As your business works hard to stay productive during turbulent times, you need to ensure that your network and your data is as safe as possible. You don’t want to juggle the challenges of a remote team along with the effects of a cyber attack.
At Veltec Networks, we are a San Jose IT services company, and we can help protect your network and your data as you make changes to support a remote team in the midst of the coronavirus. To learn more, contact us today.