| What is Normal Anyway and What Steps Do You Need to Take to Stay Secure? |
| On January 10th, 2020, the first news report of a death caused by COVID-19 was announced. Within two months, the entire globe was faced with the reality of an international pandemic. Business around the world had to quickly shift as much of their workforce as possible to be remote teleworkers. For enterprise business, this transition was less difficult than for small to medium business. Unlike the larger organizations, the SMB space had to quickly deploy new technology and, in many cases, make do with what technology they currently had or could afford. By implementing a remote business strategy so quickly, as was needed to survive, some businesses had to cut corners or ignored security best practices just to keep their businesses running. As we now head into the “new normal,” it is evident that the work environment will continue to rely heavily on the ability to work from home for the foreseeable future. This shift in how we access digital business assets brings new risks. A dramatic increase of malicious activity, system compromises, and ransom attacks are being reported across the country. Hackers and bad actors are taking advantage of small businesses at a time when they are most vulnerable and financially stressed. Employees working from home are disconnected from their fellow employees, making them more susceptible to falling victim. As we head into the coming weeks and months, it is more important than ever that you focus on your remote workers. It is critical to understand that the technology they are using is no longer a home computer, but rather a remote office to your company. What devices are they using? Who is using those devices beyond your employee? What safeguards do you have in place to stop or remediate in the event the remote computer is compromised? One day we will be past this, and business life as we knew it will begin to return. In the meantime, let us work together to make sure you do not become another statistic. |
