There’s also been a surge in hackers targeting work-from-home tools, such as the virtual private networks companies use to let employees recreate their secure office connections, said Andrew Tsonchev, director of technology at cybersecurity firm DarkTrace.
Hackers appear to be targeting the most vulnerable. Data analysis from Italy indicates that companies that have quarantined workers or instructed them to work from home are prime targets for attackers, according to Cynet, a New York-based cybersecurity company.
“This shows the propensity for hackers to shift their focus to remote work environments in order to capitalize on the virus while thwarting corporate security measures,” according to a Cynet blog published Wednesday.
With a daily onslaught of scary news about the virus, people who are working at home may be more likely to click on bogus misinformation links spread on social networks, cybersecurity experts said. And because they expect to get out-of-the-ordinary emails from their IT staff, they may be more likely to click on phishing messages.
Employees can do their part at home. Updating passwords and using paid virtual private networks and multi-factor authentication are a good start, experts said. Keeping kids off your personal computer, if you use it for work, is a good idea, too, because they could download games or other material infected with malware.
If you want to go the extra mile, buy a home router kit that lets users segregate their networks, said Aaron Zander, head of IT for San Francisco-based HackerOne Inc., a vulnerability detection and coordination platform. He warned that allowing “internet of things” devices -- such as Amazon’s Echo speakers and security cameras -- to live on the same network as corporate data further expands the attack surface.
“Everyone needs to be more diligent,” Zander said. “If you get an email asking you to make payment, it’s important to verify who that message is coming from.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.