Coronavirus & Cybersecurity: Stay calm and keep disclosing
With COVID-19 posing many challenges to society and the worldwide economy, more companies encourage remote work, especially in locations where there have been outbreaks of the virus. It is likely that over the coming weeks and months more firms and organizations will choose to close or limit office access to protect their staff.
The major issue with this switch lies in the mass number of employees working on networks not directly controlled by their business. Most firms have sorted security protocols, based on corporate defense grids (firewalls, router and modem protections, etc.), with multiple end points now exist and with many IT and security teams not prepared for such a large transition, employees, devices, and infrastructure may be open to cyber threats. Without access to IT support or insights, some employees are likely to be more vulnerable to phishing attacks.
Before the outbreak, most exploits and vulnerabilities submitted to SSD, were related to products and vendors. Our Intel Windows Graphics Driver exploit, Empire PowerShell showcase and the iOS jailbreak vulnerability are just a few examples of our day to day scope. The remote work sphere had pushed hackers, understanding more people are working from home and might be more vulnerable to cyber-attacks, to focus mostly on “Coronavirus-themed” phishing: zooming in on sites, emails software and clients, browser threats and individual exploits other than products and vendors. The increase in phishing activity and cyber-crime, focused on hacks into personal, less secure devices such as vulnerable public/private Wi-Fi networks can be used as a quick gateway for hackers looking to take advantage of the situation. We also see a rise in potential exploits to streaming and conference services, with both being on the rise.
Taking further measures to ensure that your team and company have the best defenses in place during these uncertain times is a must. Here are some suggestions to keep everyone safe:
Use a trusted VPN
Virtual private networks (VPN) are on the rise in the last couple of years with many using it for workforce or for devices that leave the corporate network. For these without a VPN in place, there are plenty of trusted open-source options available, but you will need to consider the hardware and setup implications involved (note that are many examples of malware masquerading as free VPN software)
Avoid public Wi-Fi networks
Public WiFi poses a greater risk in most cases, being exposed to other parties, in cases where the security measures are minimal.
Encrypt hard drives
An often-overlooked consideration, devices carrying sensitive information outside of the corporate network should have encrypted disks. Workstations remaining in the office unattended should also have their disks encrypted.
Update your BYOD policies
Bring your own device — also called bring your own technology allows the use of personal devices to enable staff to work remotely. This of course comes with risks as personal devices generally have poorer security measures than corporate devices but may be adjusted to fit the company needs.
Utilize two-factor authentication
Utilizing two-factor authentication on all company portals, accounts and CRM systems adds an important layer of security.
As employees work in different environments their cyber risk profiles change, with some using a wider range of personal devices and/or working in public spaces. All organizations need to proactively investigate these risks and identify ways by which common risks can be mitigated against in the coming period.
SSD helps researchers get to the bottom of vulnerabilities affecting major operating systems, software or devices. In these troubling times, SSD serves as a hub for many researchers to keep and explore their fields of interest, submit their findings and be rewarded as they always did. Since many have made the transition from working in an office to remote work, we see a rise in individual contributions and new researchers coming on board.
Make the most out of your time and expertise at home and join our rapidly growing team, disclose your findings and enjoy discreet, quick handling and generous rewards.
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