TALKING
business
‘‘
Securing an increased edge
If Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) and Shadow
IT were cybersecurity concerns pre-COVID-19,
the pandemic has brought with it a new wave
of increased pressure on IT teams.
A recent survey revealed that 71% of
security professionals had reported an
increase in security threats or attacks since
the start of the virus outbreak, while nearly
half (47%) of respondents claimed home
workers using shadow IT represented a
major problem.
Hackers are taking the opportunity
to pounce, with the FBI warning that
cyberattacks targeting those who work from
home have increased during COVID-19.
Meanwhile, according to the Australian
Cybersecurity Center, since early March
2020 there has been “a significant increase
in COVID-19 themed malicious cyber
activity across Australia: Between 10 and
26 March, the ACSC has received over 45
cybercrime and cybersecurity incident
reports from individuals and businesses,
all related to COVID-19 themed scam and
phishing activity.”
The true number of incidents is likely to be
greater as these figures only account for
incidents reported.
“
More endpoints equate to more
opportunities for breaches to occur, and it
only takes a stray click of one malicious link
for ransomware to infect an entire network.
IT ONLY TAKES A STRAY
CLICK OF ONE MALICIOUS LINK
FOR RANSOMWARE TO INFECT AN
ENTIRE NETWORK.
Bouncing back
Endpoint security, particularly with the
increase in devices on the network, should be
a chief concern for IT teams.
But an ability to bounce back in the
event of a breach is just as critical, if not
more so given the increase in endpoints
and the subsequent increased likelihood
of a breach. Ensuring all critical data is
backed up frequently ensures that, in the
event of a breach or ransomware attack,
organizations can quickly get back online
and working again.
This happened in 2016 when Langs Building
Supplies was infected by the CryptoLocker
ransomware after an employee fell victim to
a phishing email. Within minutes, thousands
of the company’s files were encrypted.
Because Langs had a well-defined data
management policy and immutable back-up
solution, they restored operations in less
than an hour without paying the ransom.
With the right platforms in place,
businesses can react and recover quickly
and reduce downtime while balancing
the work-from-home needs of staff, from
technology to wellbeing.
Organizations are beginning to see the
benefits of working from home, with some
preparing to make the move permanent
for staff. Those looking to keep employees
happy and engaged while working remotely
will need to provide some wiggle room with
regards to Shadow IT and device access.
Once the right tools become commonplace,
organizations will be able to strike a better
balance between flexibility and security and
be better equipped to enable a more flexible
working environment. •
38 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com