Covid-19 has affected every aspect of our lives. The high levels of fear and anxiety caused by the pandemic have increased the likelihood of successful attacks. As authorities grapple with the health and economic impact of the pandemic, cybercriminals are taking this unique opportunity to increase the frequency, range, and scope of their attacks.
In this article, we take a look at how to secure your data against the most common types of attacks and the steps businesses can take to reduce the risk of a successful breach.
How to Secure Your Data
Types of Attacks
Here are some of the most common types of attacks facing businesses across the United Kingdom during Covid-19.
Phishing Emails
Hackers often use phishing mails to spread malware and solicit user credentials and passwords. Coronavirus-themed phishing emails and email scams have increased dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic. If an employee clicks on a phishing email, they may end up downloading malware on your network.
Malware
Malware refers to programs intended to install and run on your computer without your knowledge. The threat of malware has increased tremendously during Covid-19. Cybercriminals are using coronavirus-themed phishing emails to spread malware most of the time. Malware can lead to data breaches and other serious damage.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts data and prevents users from accessing their systems until payment is made. Incidences of attackers using coronavirus-themed tactics to spread ransomware are just as common. Attackers are increasingly deploying ransomware against small businesses in the UK.
Improving Protection Against Cyber Threats
Here are a few steps businesses and individuals in the UK can take to protect their data from cybercriminals.
Use a VPN
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates a private network from a public internet connection, giving you online privacy and anonymity. Using a VPN makes it more difficult for your ISP, the government, hackers, and other malevolent actors to track your online activity and possibly infect your computer with malware.
2-FA
Enabling 2-FA (two-factor authentication) on any account that requires login credentials is a great way to add an extra layer of security. Using 2-FA can help prevent hackers from breaching your online accounts. A one-time security code will be sent to your mobile device to complete the login process.
Encryption
Encryption scrambles data and makes itsx unintelligible. It’s one of the most effective defenses against data breaches as it renders sensitive data useless in case it falls in the hands of cybercriminals. As a business, you need to have an effective encryption and backup strategy to ensure that your data is safe from hackers.
Keen tech writer outside of my day job in I.T. and spending time with my family.
