Teleworking yes, but safe teleworking

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At a time when attention is focused on protecting the most precious thing we all have – our lives – a new threat is lurking. With the onset of a global pandemic, with cases of COVID-19 identified worldwide, the dependence on digital media has intensified. The Internet has become the almost obligatory channel of interaction and an indispensable means for thousands of people working from home. Finding alternative ways to work is excellent, but ensuring safe teleworking is essential .

As the virus spreads, so do digital threats. That's why it's important to know the risks and put locks on your doors before it's too late.

Capitalizing on human fear and curiosity

In any crisis situation, especially those that last for a long period of time, people japan whatsapp number database to make mistakes that they would not make in another context. And criminals know this!

The vast majority of cyberattacks, around 98% , are based on exploiting uncertainties that arise in different societies and contexts during a crisis. So-called " cybercriminals " are extremely creative people who devise new ways to exploit users and technology to access passwords, networks and data. Capitalizing on human fear and curiosity is not a new trend, so it is very important to be vigilant!

Scams, frauds and malware

If we were to analyze the searches carried out on the internet about the word COVID-19 at the beginning of 2020 , we would see that they represented only 4% of all searches carried out on the internet . Today, they represent practically 100% . The percentage of searches related to other topics is so small that it does not even have statistical significance.

And to what extent is this relevant?

A lot. Criminals are alert, they know the fear that is being created, and they take advantage of this to launch the most diverse schemes, frauds and malware , taking advantage of people's curiosity, need for information and often fear. Emails, phone calls, advertisements on social networks, fraudulent websites, door-to-door visits, SMSs, there is a bit of everything.

Falling for one of these schemes could mean having the contents of your device encrypted ( ransomware ), allowing them to use your smartphone's camera or microphone, as well as access to your images and text messages.

There is a lot of information circulating, but there is also a lot of misinformation and opportunism . So think carefully before accepting products or services for decontamination/disinfection, health insurance, free COVID -19 tests , online maps to track the pandemic, etc.
Invest in safety tools, policies and mechanisms.

Given the need for social isolation caused by the high level of contagion of this pandemic, teleworking has seen widespread adoption, presenting itself as fertile ground for cybercriminals. The likelihood of success of fraudulent schemes increases with people at home and outside of the most secure corporate networks, so it is very important to ensure secure teleworking.

To this end, companies must invest in information security tools, policies and mechanisms for their employees who work remotely, such as:

• VPNs
• Security policy
• Firewalls
• Antivirus
• HTTPS
• 2FA
• Monitoring systems
• Disk encryption
• Removal of local administrators
• Backups

Even with all the precautions and security mechanisms , no one is 100% safe, so we recommend that everyone stop and think carefully before providing any personal information, downloading and installing software or simply clicking on a simple link.
Always be skeptical and remember: in times of crisis, we need to be extra careful! Yes, you can telework, but you can telework safely.