TECHNOLOGY
Cyber security in an increasingly digital world
Kirti Suman Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, REINZ
In recent years cyber security and internet fraud have become areas of concern for organisations, governments and consumers. There has been an increase in cyber security attacks since COVID-19, as companies invoked rapid responses to the coronavirus pandemic, potentially leaving themselves vulnerable to security breaches. Despite the current global pandemic, cyber attackers have made it clear they’re not taking any time off. Now that many workers have shifted to working remotely and organisations are distracted trying to handle the virus, security and risk management teams need to be more vigilant than ever.
What can organisations do to protect their business, employees and customers? Below are six key areas of focus from Gartner that may help member organisations plan for future events:
1. Ensure that the organisation’s incident response protocols reflect the altered operating conditions and are tested early Review all documentation and conduct a walk-through with a careful watch for any problem areas. If the organisation does not already have a cybersecurity incident response plan or capability, consider using the services of a managed security service provider instead of trying to stand up a new system and develop your own plans
2. Ensure that all remote access capabilities are tested and secure, and endpoints used by workers are patched Given how quickly most organisations found
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themselves moving to remote work, it makes sense that security teams would not have had time to perform basic endpoint hygiene and connectivity performance checks on corporate machines. Further complicating the matter are employees who are working on personal devices. Where possible, they should confirm whether personal devices have adequate anti-malware capabilities installed and enabled. If not, they should work with the employee and their corporate platform vendor to ensure the device is protected as soon as possible. Other mechanisms such as two-factor authentication will also be useful to ensure only authorised personnel have access to corporate applications and information remotely. On a strategic level, make sure someone from the security team is part of the crisis management working group to provide guidance on security concerns and business-risk-appropriate advice
3. Reinforce the need for remote workers to remain vigilant to socially engineered attacks The reality is that employees will have more distractions than usual, whether it’s having kids at home, worrying about family, or concerns about their own health. They’re also operating in a different environment and might not be as vigilant about security during a time where cybercriminals will exploit the chaos. Make sure you reach out to senior leaders with examples of target phishing
