Cyber crime has been hitting the Nation and the Tri Cities area hard this year. Since the start of COVID there has been a 300% increase in cyber crime nationwide. Earlier this year FBI Deputy Assistant Director Tonya Ugoretz was speaking in an online panel hosted by the Aspen Institute about the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, (the IC3), and said:
“Whereas they might typically receive 1,000 complaints a day through their internet portal, they’re now receiving something like 3,000 – 4,000 complaints a day not all of those are COVID-related, but a good number of those are.”
Why Such A Big Increase?
Stay-at-home work orders are allowing users to stay safe, but this may be compromising best practices. Employees in the office might normally talk to each other about a suspicious email. When working from home though, employees are less likely to ask a colleague to look at these strange emails.
How To Protect Your Business:
Here are some simple things you can do to protect your business:
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-Factor Authentication will require a user to enter a code from their cell phone to access their email account from a new location. Instantly stopping bad actors from being able to log in to an account.
- Train Staff On Suspicious Emails
Check who the email is coming from. Not just the name, but the actual address. Bad actors can make any email address look like someone you trust. Call someone. Even working from home, it is better to call the sender and verify a suspicious email than to click the link.
- Put A Disaster Recovery Plan In Place
You may not be able to stop every bad actor out there. Having a plan for how to deal with these situations can quickly help stop access and restore your business information.
- Cyber Security Solutions
We also offer comprehensive email protection solutions which can help against spam, viruses, spoofing, phishing, and spyware attacks. Some products can protect and/or train your staff for as little as $2 per user per month.
Questions?
Please contact us today if you have any questions, concerns, or if you are interested in a Cyber Security Vulnerability Assessment.
