With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the coronavirus a “pandemic,” more and more governments are considering closing schools and ordering remote work from home to protect public health. The CFC notes that the anxiety and fear that people have about the coronavirus and the resulting work from home can fuel malware attacks. The CFC is providing an update on the risks and suggesting some easy steps businesses can take to avoid falling victim to hackers.
First, the increasing use of remote work can open the door to malware attacks. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), when properly configured, is a great tool for remote work. However, using it without multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled or on an unsecured network can open the door to hackers. It is worth noting that 80% of malware attacks that took place in 2019 were initiated through Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
Businesses that are starting to use RDP for remote work in the face of the coronavirus should be aware of some of the cybersecurity risks. Employees should always connect to a trusted network, work with their IT department to ensure the security of their devices, and implement MFA before working remotely.
Coronavirus is increasingly being used in phishing. As new cases of Coronavirus are reported every day, cybercriminals are taking advantage of the situation to take advantage of those looking for information about the virus. For example, the Sophos has identified emails that appear to come from the World Health Organization. These emails show victims the message “click the button below to take security measures.” Users are then asked to verify their email by entering credentials , which takes them to the legitimate site , while their credentials are passed directly to the hackers. As the Coronavirus spreads, it is likely that hackers will continue to exploit this situation to their advantage.
Additionally, a Twitter spotted another malicious campaign that appears as “Coronavirus Update: China Operations.” The emails sent by this malicious campaign contain attachments linked to malware attacks.
To enhance safety when working from home, the CFC recommends the following steps:
- Check remote login capabilities. It’s not enough to just configure devices for secure remote work, but businesses should also ensure that multi-factor authentication (MFA) is set up right away. MFA is an authentication process that goes beyond a password to protect an email account and is used to ensure that a person is who they say they are, requiring at least two unique pieces of evidence to confirm their identity. Implementing MFA significantly reduces the chances of hackers being able to log into a business’s RDP.
- Train your employees on how to spot phishing emails. If you are insured by CFC, you can have free access to a range of risk management tools, including CyberRiskAware, which is an e-learning that focuses on phishing attacks and motivates a company’s employees to be more careful when opening attachments, clicking on links, transferring money or sending sensitive and confidential information.
- Finally, always be prepared for the worst. As with most cybersecurity, time is of the essence, so make sure you have a malware attack response plan in place in advance.
