Coronavirus Security Update: Hackers are Focusing Their Efforts on Your Remote Workers

Coronavirus Security Update: Hackers are Focusing Efforts on Your Remote Workers

Hackers are actively looking for ways to infiltrate your company through remote workers. Do you have the tools and resources in place to repel these attacks? 

It’s not surprising if the past few weeks have a bit of a surreal feel to them, as IT and business professionals alike attempt to come to terms with their new normal. Working from home with children, pets and spouses underfoot all adds to the stress of attempting to connect to unfamiliar systems and data structures. This confusion can lead many remote workers to inadvertently click on a fraudulent website or link that contains malware. Of course, this causes a chain reaction that takes some time to untangle, with companies and their technical teams taking the brunt of the work to resolve security breaches or restore access to compromised systems. While hackers are actively looking for ways to infiltrate your organization, here are some recommendations from the FBI that you can share with your staff to help reduce the possibility of further attacks.

Beware Compromised Emails

Business email compromise (BEC) attacks are becoming a common occurrence in American workplaces, with hackers scrolling through social media and professional networking sites to find pertinent information that can be used in an attack. The approach often includes a spoofed email address that appears to come from a trusted vendor or colleague within the organization, requesting an activity such as buying gift cards or wiring large sums of money to a vendor. While unexpected, these attacks may not feel completely fraudulent, which is why they’ve been incredibly successful at bilking companies for millions of dollars. During normal times, and emergency request might need to go through multiple channels before approval but the challenges associated with working remotely may encourage staff to bypass the checks and balances that are already in place.

Need More Supplies? Check the Site!

The “new normal” may include policies and procedures that are dramatically different for remote workers than for those working within the four walls of a traditional business. Even activities as simple as ordering office supplies can be fraught with danger, as hackers are creating fake emails with links to purchase office supplies that actually lead to forms designed to capture your payment information. Be sure your staff members are well-versed on the exact steps required to order office supplies, make requests of your IT department and download any new software or updates. Hackers are also posing as IT professionals in an attempt to encourage unsuspecting employees to download malware or ransomware directly to their business or personal machines.

Too Good to Be True?

Remind staff members that any offer that seems too good to be true is more likely to be a scam! Robocalls are being abundantly used by cybercriminals, with offers that include everything from free government checks to COVID-19 testing kits, “secret” stashes of masks or hand sanitizer to a miracle cure. Encourage your employees to use common sense when they receive a robocall — and that hanging up is always the best option! Fact-check all information that is seen by navigating directly to a known safe website, such as the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 update page or the federal government response pages. This will help avoid links that could potentially contain malware while ensuring your staff have access to the most up-to-date information that will help them stay safe and protect your organization against cyberattacks.

Your business deserves active, reliable IT solutions that will help ensure operational efficiency both now and in the future. When you work with the technical experts at SemTech IT Solutions, you can be confident that you are gaining access to Orlando’s top-rated team of IT professionals. We provide specialized IT services and support for organizations of all sizes, creating secure and consistent access to networks, business applications, sensitive data and more. Contact the SemTech IT Solutions team at 407-329-5125 or schedule your free consultation online anytime.