By Jennifer Adams
What happens next?
This question is in the minds of many. With the beginning of a new year comes new threats directed at your business. Issues affecting working from home, ransomware threats and supply-chain problems are major concerns for the coming year. One thing is certain – cybersecurity concerns will increasingly become more prevalent. What could the new year bring into your cyber space? How should you respond?
Cybercriminals will continue to target remote workers.
The coronavirus pandemic left many organizations with no other choice than to convert their workers to a hybrid or fully remote workforce. Remote work is here to stay. As these businesses searched for a way to accommodate the new normal, there wasn’t much choice but to allow sensitive data to be accessed from anywhere, with or without a VPN (virtual private network). Workers need to be able to access company information in a safe, secure way which is why having an expert you can trust to set your employees up working from home in a safe cyber-environment is a must.
Should you become the victim of a cyber-attack, you could be required by law to disclose it. In June 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released guidelines spotlighting the need for cyber incidents to be disclosed in a timely manner. These guidelines also encouraged publicly traded companies to be sure their Boards of Directors frequently review the company’s cybersecurity plans as a preventative measure. Four months after this, a trip of U.S. government financial agencies approved a rule that banks must notify regulators of a significant breach in security no later than 36 hours after the incident is discovered. These mandates will likely be expanded to include more industries over time which is why companies of all industries need to begin preparing now. Meet with a professional to ensure the effectiveness of your company’s cyber response plan.
Supply chain attacks are just beginning.
With the world still reeling from the SolarWinds cybersecurity breach, the REvil ransomware gang utilized a Zero Day in Kaseya VSA to set a cyberattack in motion directed at its own customers. Because of this, security teams must pay closer attention to the possible threat of island hopping.
In 2022, we expect cybercrime to be at an all-time high, with criminals seeking new ways to deploy malicious code, infiltrate networks, and gain persistence in systems all over the world. IT providers will need to monitor networks very closely for potential invasions and suspicious activity to avoid becoming the victim of a severely damaging cyberattack.
Cloud breaches will increase as a side effect of many people working remotely
Because many companies were rushed to adapt to the cloud during the Covid-19 pandemic, cybersecurity strategies were scrambled in the rushed remote work setup. Cloud adaptation is becoming increasingly widespread, especially with more people working from home because it provides a convenient, safe way for data to be accessed from any location; however, this presents hackers with a potential opportunity to break into your network. To stay safe, cloud components need to be kept safe and private. The best way to do this is by educating and training your staff, implementing strong password security policies, and most of all, partnering with a trusted cloud provider who can advise you and monitoring your cloud to keep it secure.
To sum it up
It’s not a question of if a hacker will target your company, it’s a question of when. Cybercriminals are becoming more aggressive and innovative in their techniques, which means the best combative action is to try and prevent an attack altogether. Schedule an appointment with one of our specialists to see how we can help protect your company’s network!