There's a second pandemic no one's talking about at all. Besides COVID-19, a cyber pandemic shows no signs of slowing down or going away. As more and more people had to work remotely, remote work went from a necessity for survival as time went on to a new option. More workers sought to adapt it as a permanent way to work.
Cyber-Pandemic Numbers
For example, over the last two years, 47% of individuals have fallen victim to phishing scams while working at home. These cyberattacks have only grown in frequency and severity; hackers worldwide seek to exploit the vulnerabilities of firms due to the coronavirus.
Another exciting piece of info is that the average data breach costs a company $137,000 per incident. On July 8th, 2021, the city of London Police reported that since January 2020, over GBP 11 million had been stolen from scams during the pandemic.
Preventive Measures
But there's hope. Business leaders and employees can take preventive measures to stop such attacks. For those employees working from home using their personal or corporate devices, here are some cybersecurity measures that are easy to take, including:
Buy Antivirus Protection
Antivirus protection licenses for antivirus and malware software should be something all employees should download on their computers and devices. This software should be supplied by the company, not at the cost of the employee.
Cybersecurity Education
All employees will be up to date on the best practices the company will follow to prevent any potential cyberattacks. These measures include regulating sensitive information emails and updating cloud storage security features.
Use a VPN
VPNs or virtual private networks are the best tools when working remotely or in the office, adding a secondary level of security. Employees can't always stop a cyberattack, but by using VPNs and other means, the risk of an incident can be much lower.
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