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March 25, 2021

Ampcus' Ann Ramakumaran: Cybersecurity threats while working from home

By Anjali “Ann” Ramakumaran, CEO, Ampcus Inc.

Today, humanity is in one of its most vulnerable states, with a never-seen-before COVID-19 pandemic adversely affecting every aspect of human life. Philosophically and scientifically, every negative has a positive, the positive being technology and the virtual world that we now depend upon in totality.
Increasingly across the globe, organizations, businesses, nations and individuals are working from home ― a new normal to sustain economies and human lives. But a threat exists in the form of cybercrime.

While the coronavirus plays havoc with human lives, quietly lurking in the shadows and actively threatening are viruses in cyberspace, as the virtual world expands its capabilities online to transact businesses relating to every aspect of life. We are at a huge risk of data theft, online frauds and even national security breaches; cybercrime is multiplying at an unprecedented speed. The threat looms large since the world is now totally transformed to a digital planet and sensitive data and people’s lives can be put at risk through the tab of a digital device.

According to some studies, more than 16 million knowledge workers started working remotely due to COVID-19 in March. Today that number has gone up significantly. With increasing numbers of people working from home globally, data-sharing on the internet has significantly expanded, providing hackers increasing opportunities to gain access to computers, laptops and smartphones since many remote activities take place from unsecured connections. Even those secured with a virtual private network, or VPN, are at high risk from a cybersecurity perspective.

Realizing the gravity of this situation, the International Criminal Police Organization, or INTERPOL, launched #WashYourCyberHands, a global awareness campaign to keep people safe and protect them from disruption of the virtual world by highlighting the major threats from cybercriminals being faced by counties, businesses and people. The World Economic Forum has also issued advisories.

Cybercriminals are capitalizing on the anxiety caused by COVID-19 through various cyberattacks such as data-harvesting malware, ransomware, online scams and phishing/social engineering, along with internet of things, or IoT-based attacks. Even the best of secured networks faces the threat of hacking through security gaps to bypass a company’s network security.

What are the major activities being conducted by organizations currently via the virtual world?
• Webinars.
• Online meetings through apps like Zoom and Google Meet.
• Platforms, such as SharePoint, used for presentations.
• AnyDesk and other software used for remote screen-sharing.
• Sensitive data-sharing on VPNs using local networks/personal computers on local networks.

According to studies, 90% of information technology professionals believe remote working is not secure and 70% believe that remote staff is riskier than on-site employees. Major threats faced in cybersecurity while working from home include:
• Increased data-sharing through the internet due to lack of secured connectivity.
• Use of personal devices that cannot be controlled or monitored by the company.
• Lack of firewall and security for PCs, laptops and smartphones, such as office setups; and an increasing number of cyberattacks leveraging endpoints and raising the challenges of data security.
• New and innovative hacking methods for which employees have no training.
• Outdated security systems.
• Virtual meeting tools that can be attacked by malicious domains.

The hackers who target individuals to lure them unknowingly to grant access to their official digital infrastructure and data on the pretext of giving COVID-19 related information in the form of links, PDFs, etc.

Applications that can hack endpoints. For instance, in many companies, only the official emails are protected, while the user is free to download applications or use the internet on company-provided smartphones.

Compromised security that occurs when employees use more than one device while working from home.
Hence, this is the time when the cybersecurity industry must raise its potential to the fullest and successfully face the new and emerging challenges to provide practical solutions for the protection of organizational networks, especially while working from home.

At the same time, companies should invest in the latest security systems and create war rooms to protect their cyber information. Employee sensitization programs with regular updates on the various emerging threats are crucial to ensure the safety of the organization. Staff members should be made aware of potential risks and be prepared on how to react in case of a cyberattack.

To conclude, the words of the Nobel Prize-winning historian and political scientist Christian Lous Lange have become more relevant: “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.”