Cyber Security
COVERRE FEATU
Top trends that should inform your COVID-19 security posture
O By Linda Gray Martin, Sr. Director & General Manager, RSA Conference together with cybersecurity experts from RSA Conference 2020 APJ: Paula Januszkiewicz, CEO, Owner, Cybersecurity Expert, CQUIRE Magda Chelly, Head of Cyber Consulting, Former CISO, Entrepreneur, Marsh Asia Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate, KnowBe4 Javvad Malik, Security Awareness Advocate, KnowBe4 Stan Lowe, Global Chief Information Security Officer, Zscaler, Inc
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nly months ago, businesses around the world had to make massive changes. The cause of those changes was so unprecedented that even those with strong incident response plans struggled to maintain their security posture amidst the challenges of an increased remote workforce. The dust has started to settle, but hindsight tells us that we must do more to prepare for the inevitable: This— or something like this—will happen again. So how do organizations just entering the nascent stages of recovering from COVID-19 prepare for what will be a recurring issue? As we emerge from this first phase of this crisis, experts across the RSA Conference APJ program have weighed in on what’s to come so that organizations can better understand the actions they need to take today to be ready for what will come tomorrow.
efficient in response to users’ needs.” Though collaboration tools may have become more efficient, the sudden shift to a remote workforce exacerbated the challenges of defending the disappearing perimeter. Companies have been thrust into conducting business from multiple locations with little or no preparation, which will to continue to be the case post-pandemic, said Magda Chelly, Head of Cyber Consulting, Former CISO, Entrepreneur, Marsh Asia. As the attack surface expands, companies and security teams will face new challenges, Chelly explained. “Attackers will be using multiple channels of communication with a focus on social media, all targeting end users dispersed across the globe, working from unsecured networks, and on their own devices. They will also be leveraging opportunities for physical attacks in empty offices.”
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Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate, KnowBe4 agreed that attacks have been increasing. Any emotionally charged situation opens the doors for social engineers to leverage different attacks from Phishing, Smishing, and Vishing to social media manipulation. In most cases, attackers are attempting to either get information or stir up chaos. “When people are in the midst of chaos, that impacts their ability to think critically. Getting somebody’s emotional
So far, the biggest trend influenced by the pandemic is remote working and an increased usage of collaborative suite programs, said Paula Januszkiewicz, CEO, Owner, Cybersecurity Expert, CQUIRE. “Some companies had to adjust to the new reality rapidly. Luckily, all tools, which enable more than simple conversations, have become more