Exploiting COVID-19, Hacks Grow, Says Security Magazine
Hikvision Work From Home Tips to Reduce Hacks, Cyberattacks, & Vulnerabilities
The Security magazine article, “How Hackers are Exploiting COVID-19,” covers growth in hacks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Remote cyber threats are rising as cybercriminals take advantage of the pandemic to lure people to click on phishing emails, ransomware and other bait.
From the article: “Cybercriminals hope to go unnoticed. They often work in the dark depths of the Internet, but now, they are showing their true colors in the COVID-19 pandemic. Attacks have always been socially engineered to prey on people’s fears, habits, and ultimately, their bank accounts, but the exploitation in the COVID-19 era is nothing short of sinister. In the short time since America has felt the effects of this pandemic, there have already been countless phishing attempts with COVID-19-specific messaging. These attack methods are nothing new, but there is an updated approach that many threat actors are using when it comes to who and how often they attack.”
The article cited the most commonly exploited methods used for attacks right now:
· Company networks being infected by an infected personal computer that accesses the network remotely.
· Unpatched home routers. For Hikvision tips to improve security while working from home, click here to read this blog.
· Not using multi-factor authentication (MFA) to improve cybersecurity.
Read more from the Security magazine article here. Check out links to Hikvision’s COVID-19 cyber blog series here.
Hikvision Work From Home Tips to Reduce Hacks, Cyberattacks & Vulnerabilities
Hikvision’s senior director of cybersecurity has authored recently blogs such as this one: “Work From Home Tips to Improve Security and Reduce Hacks, Ease Concerns,” offering ways to improve security while working remote. Below is an excerpt from the article.
Use your company virtual private network (VPN), especially if you connect to a Wi-Fi network that’s not yours (neighbor, relative, coffee shop). The VPN ensures that all of your work traffic, and likely all of your network traffic, goes through the company network before it gets to the Internet. This means that all of the company’s security tools are working to make sure that your computer doesn’t get infected or attacked.
Secure your Wi-Fi. This is nothing new, but here are some high level tips:
· Ensure you are using WPA2.
· Create a good password for your network. Learn more by reading this Hikvision blog.
· Enable a guest network for your visitors. Don’t give them access to your personal home network.
· FUN BONUS TIP: Make a QR code for your guest network. Print it out and put it in small frames around your house so guests can join your guest network without having to give them your strong password.
· Do NOT hide your network SSID. This actually makes your network less secure.
For more Hikvision cyber tips to reduce risk, hacks and vulnerabilities, click here.