Who would have thought the beginning of a new decade would turn out to be a nightmare for the entire world?
Security analysts make sure they stay way ahead of any cyber threat that comes in the way of their organization’s IT landscape, but the latest contagion that develops from humans has created global IT terror. The pandemic Coronavirus or COVID-19 is a pronounced hard-hitting reality that is destroying world economies, clearly damaging the cyber security landscape of enterprises. The way it is affecting business foundations is surprising, but is certainly no joke.
Let’s look at how COVID-19 is capable of disrupting the IT landscape:
- Elevated dependence on digital support is elevating failure costs– The massive outbreak of the pandemic, with cases reported from more than 150 countries around the globe, has multiplied digital dependency. Since the beginning of social isolation, humans are interacting, communicating and supporting only through digital medium. Enterprises have thus enforced ‘’work from home’’ to dodge business lockdown. Newer cyber threats are on the prowl. Cyber criminals are playing the COVID-19 fear card to steal passwords and data. In critical times like these, even a narrow cyber-attack has the potential to knock down an entire infrastructure, choke healthcare and public services, and networks.
- Hackers are capitalising on fear- In a critical situation as this, it is but natural for humans to act out of fear and confusion. Hackers utilize new ways for exploitation, often capitalizing on latest trends to persuade users into unsafe online transactions. Cyber criminals will then use such shortcomings to trespass into databases. Coronavirus phishing scams came to the forefront in January, preying on fear and confusion. A major COVID-19 testing hub faced a ransomware attack that obstructed operations and postponed surgeries.
- Stealing remote user credentials- The work from home policy enables the workload to be carried out remotely, thus enabling an attacker to conceal a malicious link without being detected by the security analysts of the organization.
- Increase in risks owing to the amount of time spent online- Since the world is in complete lockdown, the only way to connect outside the four walls is through Internet. However, it is important to note that Internet risks increase with the time spent online. One could fall prey to ‘’free entry’’ to malicious websites. A simple click on the wrong link can give away confidential information, which can turn out to be expensive, or extremely dangerous.
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is advised to wash hands frequently using an alcohol-based solution. Similarly, it is fundamental that cyber hygiene is well-checked and upgraded, which in turn will reduce the amount of data breaches. The world is continuously putting in efforts to drag down the levels of the virus, with simultaneous measures being taken by enterprises to tackle sophisticated cyber-attacks.