Cyber Defense eMagazine November 2020 Edition

According to a study, the click rate for phishing attacks has increased from less than 5% to more than
40% for COVID-19 scams. This number was increased significantly by provoking fear and curiosity
amongst individuals.
Remote Work Vulnerabilities
Work from home has now become the new standard; however, there is a rise in threats for several
businesses. Around 95 percent of Cybersecurity professionals claim they face additional challenges, with
new remote work demands and increased threats.
The sudden change in circumstances has changed the way employees access business applications
and increased the potential of future attacks.
To steal sensitive information, hackers exploit several vulnerabilities in unsecured Wi-Fi and to take
advantage of workplace disruption.To stay safe from such exploitation, you must download VPN to keep
your sensitive information safe.
With some workers forced to use personal devices for work tasks, the risk of malware finding its way on
devices has also increased, resulting in personal and work-related information being compromised.
These devices also lack the resources built into corporate networks, including custom firewalls, corporate
antivirus software, and online backup resources. The use of personal computers offers hackers many
chances to exploit.
Some organizations are also urging their staff to turn off voice assistants and smart speakers like Apple
HomePod, Amazon Echo, and Google Home devices to prevent fraudsters from listening to confidential
conversations and conference calls.
The Northeastern University study shows that smart speakers accidentally activate as many as 19 times
a day, recording as much as 43 seconds of audio each time. The latest research also shows that 59
percent of smart speaker consumers have concerns about privacy, with front and center undesirable
listening and data collection.
Even in regular times, remote working can make people vulnerable to attacks. The current environment,
however, has created the perfect storm where spammers, hackers, and scammers will thrive.
Zscaler researchers say they have seen a 15% -20% increase in hacking incidents every month since
January, and a rise in hacking threats using terms like "Covid-19" or "coronavirus."
Video Conferencing and COVID-19
Just like any other technology, video conferencing is also at risk for the privacy and security of personal
information if not appropriately handled. With organizations and individuals increasingly relying on video
conferencing, hackers have been targeting the opportunity quickly.
As a result, fraudsters and cybercriminals have managed to enter video conferencing calls as well as
eavesdropping on private conversations, hijacked screen controls, and launched many malicious attacks.
Security issues were posed earlier this year when a UK cabinet meeting's Zoom ID was posted in a social
media post. Some of the cabinet ministers' usernames were also identified along with the ID, which
allowed hackers to access the private meeting.
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