With the outbreak of the COVID-19, a large percentage of organizations have faced malware attacks on remote devices, as employees work from home. One of the challenges brought about by these new conditions is cybercriminals who try to exploit unsecured computers of remote workers, to compromise corporate networks. It is worth noting that many fake collaboration apps are presented as applications that will help employees in their productivity and performance. However, in reality, they “infect” unsuspecting users, having as their ultimate target the companies.
According to a 2021 report by cybersecurity firm Wandera , more than half of organizations (52%) experienced a malware attack on a remote device. In 2019, 37% of organizations experienced malware attacks on remote devices.
In many cases, cybercriminals exploit known vulnerabilities in software to help deliver malware covertly, as users struggle with software management and patch installation without the direct assistance of a corporate IT team.
Remote workers are being tricked into downloading malicious fake collaboration apps from phishing emails that install malware, under the illusion that they are installing something that will help them with their productivity.
Michael Covington, a representative for Wandera, told ZDNet: "Most often, malicious fake collaboration apps are downloaded and installed by remote workers themselves. We've seen a fair number of apps that claim to offer collaboration functionality, when in reality they're designed to steal personal information, such as messaging content, or trick the user into granting access to the camera and microphone, allowing a remote attacker to monitor them."
What is particularly concerning is that of the devices compromised by malware, over a third of users continued to access corporate emails, while one in ten continued to access cloud. In both cases, users are giving hackers much broader access to the network than they might have initially had.
Securing remote employees is proving to be a major challenge for IT teams, who are also currently working remotely, making their job even more difficult.
Therefore, it is necessary for organizations to provide appropriate training to their employees to avoid falling victim to cyberattacks, which can put both themselves and their companies at risk. Specifically, Covington pointed out that constant communication with employees on the connection mechanisms they should use, as well as reporting security incidents, will help everyone play their role in protecting an organization and its assets.
