Covid-19 – Basic yet Effective Strategies to Keep Cybersecurity Intact

Our economy’s downfall due to coronavirus pandemic isn’t hidden from anyone, but this isn’t the only problem that the pandemic has brought to us. Other than affecting people mentally and physically, COVID-19 has affected most of us financially as well. The pandemic has made many small businesses go bankrupt, employees go unemployed, and cybersecurity goes into danger. 

Sadly, problematic things do not stop here. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, cyber threats have rapidly increased in the past few months. To keep employees safe and healthy, most organizations have adopted work from home culture, which kind of boosted the cyberattack rate. The good thing is that most organizations have become attentive and adopted strategies that help build a cyber-resilient infrastructure amid COVID-19. 

How to Create a Cyber Resilient Work Environment? 

Protect Business Networks

To guard your organization’s assets against vulnerabilities, execution of CIS Controls Implementation group 1 (IG1) is advised. It helps to improve cybersecurity posture. You can also make the most of Free CIS Controls Self-Assessment tools that help measure the progress of IG1 execution. To secure the remote workforce, you must update perimeter security controls or strengthen SaaS-based solutions. 

Secure Employee Home Networks 

The remote workforce has become new normal for many organizations because of the COVID-19 lockdown aftermath. As most employees are bound to work from home, the chances of an unknown attack surface increase exponentially. It is crucial that other than organizations being observant of their cybersecurity, employees should also focus on fortifying their home networks as it would help to lower the chances of experiencing cyber-attacks. Other than protecting security controls and conducting business through a VPN, you must adhere to these points as well. 

• Turn off WPS and UPnP 
• Turn on WPA2 and WP3
• Enable two-factor authentication and smart password management. 
• Allow automatic updates for modems and routers. 
• Configure the router’s firewall with a strong password. 

Employee Personal Device Security

Most remote workers execute the official work on their personal devices. Thus, it becomes imperative to assess the security of your personal device, as well. Here are a few tips that you can adhere to for avoiding any exposure to cyber threats.  

• Patch your device frequently. It helps to fix bugs and security vulnerabilities. 
• Install anti-virus, firewall, and anti-spyware. 
• Apply security settings in web browsers. 
• Use the Company approved USB devices. 
• Store sensitive data in external hard drives. 

These were a few basic, yet effective strategies to keep your IT security controls protected amid COVID-19 ongoing situation. 

Did you face any cyber-attack? If yes, what steps did you follow to overcome the situation? Share your experience in the comment section below; we would love to know!