Hackers work 24 / 7 to penetrate your network, so ensure it's genuinely protected 24 / 7

How cyber criminals are taking advantage of COVID-19 

Staying one step ahead of cybercriminals is an ongoing challenge for all organisations - more so than ever in our current climate, where cybercriminals have been quick to exploit the rapid increase in online transactions and the move to a distributed workforce. Consider the following statistics²:

• Banks have seen a 238% rise in cyber-attacks since the onset of COVID-19
• 80% of organisations have reported a rise in attacks
• Cloud-based attacks have risen by 630%
• Cyber-attacks on home workers have increased by 500%
• Ransomware attacks rose by 148% in March alone

These attacks have hit organisations ranging from start-ups to global leaders, in sectors including education, healthcare and government³. In light of well-publicised incidents such as the hacking of multiple celebrity Twitter accounts, concerns about data security amongst the public are at an all-time high. It's clear then, that a 'business as usual' approach to cyber security will not be enough as we prepare for the post-COVID world. The potential cost of inaction is far too serious.

Organisations and their employees must therefore adopt a new standard of best practice for secure remote working, and a proactive approach must be taken when identifying and resolving not just existing breaches, but ones that could potentially occur in the future. While most organisations will already conduct some form of annual security audit, often to meet compliance requirements, it is now time to take this further. What will this new approach to security look like, especially when we consider that internal IT teams are frequently pressed for time and organisations do not want security consultancy to become a burdensome ongoing expense?

Adopting a new kind of security posture

Having previously only been put in place when compliance evaluations are approaching, or when an incident has already occurred, cyber security is now evolving to take the fight to the cybercriminals. Rather than taking place in preparation for audits or in an attempt to contain the damage caused by a breach, network security is adopting more of a defensive posture, taking place on an ongoing basis to not only detect and resolve vulnerabilities before they lead to breaches, but to provide deep insights into how current threats are evolving, allowing organisations to prepare for future cyberattacks .

There are several elements to this; bringing together cutting-edge technology, technical expertise and intelligent automation. Ongoing Vulnerability Management, periodic Pen Testing and implementing patches as soon as they become available will ensure that internal IT teams are able to focus their attention where it will be most effective, ensuring vulnerabilities are suitably resolved without allowing this to affect the time required for business growth activities. This will not only enhance the efficiency and performance of IT teams, but ensure compliance requirements are fulfilled on time, with minimal stress,allowing organisations to rethink the way they approach network security, moving from a reactive approach  where corrective actions are generally taken when problems are identified - to a proactive one, where they are constantly improving and refining their security posture in order to remain one step ahead of the cyber criminals.