For several years, the topic of cybersecurity has been on the rise. When it comes to hacking attempts and cybercrime, nobody is completely free of risk. With an increased number of data breaches and hacking attempts making the headlines, it’s clear to see that it’s more important than ever for small business owners to make cybersecurity a priority. No matter what kind of business you run, here are some of the main cybersecurity trends to watch out for this year.
Remote Working Risks:
As the COVID19 pandemic has led to more people working from home than ever before, many companies and employees have begun to see the benefits of remote working. But there has also been an increase in risk as employees access work systems and data using their home internet networks, which are often easier for hackers to breach compared to a secure office network. If you plan to continue allowing your employees to work from home this year due to the COVID19 pandemic, it is important to put additional security measures in place, such as providing employees with VPN access that they can use to encrypt traffic when logging into work systems on their home network.
Phishing:
The COVID19 virus is not the only crisis right now. As a result of the pandemic, there has been an increase in phishing attempts around the world. Hackers have used COVID19 as a gateway to try and get sensitive information from people who are in a more vulnerable position right now, either due to anxiety about the virus, their finances, or adjusting to working from home. Phishing occurs when cybercriminals pretend to be a trusted source to dupe an individual into providing them with sensitive information, such as an email that appears to be from the bank asking you to log into your account. It is important to be more vigilant than ever around this type of message and always verify that it is legitimate before replying or taking any further action. You can use Nuwber to find out more about who has sent you an email by searching for their email address.
Malware:
Malware attacks are on the rise. One of the most common ways that malware ends up on computers is through attachments and email links that may appear perfectly safe and innocent. Spyware is one of the most commonly seen types of malware out there. This dangerous software might go undetected on your computer, tracking what you are doing and feeding potentially sensitive information back to hackers. Some spyware software will record your keystrokes, which provides hackers easy access to your login credentials for online accounts. It is important to use a strong firewall and a reputable antivirus program that is kept up to date to protect yourself against this type of attack.
Password Breaches:
With the software that hackers use to guess your passwords becoming more and more sophisticated and trying hundreds of attempts per second, the need to have a strong password policy in both your personal and professional life has never been more important. This year, it is important to use a good password manager tool to create unique, strong passwords that would take years to guess for each account that you use, especially if you are working from home due to COVID19 and using your home Wi-Fi network to access secure systems.
