2020 was a remarkably tough year, primarily because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there’s hope for 2021.
But this doesn’t mean that 2021 doesn’t have its own challenges, especially when it comes to the ever-evolving array of cybersecurity scams. Most of these cyberattacks are directly linked to the pandemic and the ensuing work-from-home culture.
So what are these cyberattack threats? And what can you do to safeguard yourself?
1. Coronavirus-Related Attacks
The COVID-19 pandemic and the remote work culture have exposed cracks in our cybersecurity defenses. Reports have shown a 600 percent rise in cybercrime ever since the global pandemic started. It’s pretty common to receive SMS, calls, or email scams related to COVID-19 right now, and probably long into the future.
In some cases, you will even receive calls from charities that claim to assist the front-line workers. This isn’t the case for all of them, but some pretend to be selling protective equipment needed during these pressing times.
While we wait for what the future holds when it comes to the virus, the fact that cybercrime will continue to increase in the coming years is almost certain. Even though some countermeasures are introduced to avoid these attacks, they are not infallible.
Preventive Tips
- Evaluate what threats are driven by the pandemic.
- Avoid opening unknown attachments and clicking suspicious links.
- Use good antivirus software.
2. Increase in Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware threats have become one of the most noticeable trends for some time now. Even though it was going strong for the past few years, ransomware took the worst turn with the attack on Colonial Pipeline—the largest fuel pipeline in the US.
The healthcare sector has particularly seen a rise in ransomware attacks. In May 2021, the Health Service Executive in Ireland experienced a significant ransomware attack that forced a complete shutdown of their systems.
In 2021, we expect a surge in ransomware threats due to digital transformation and the massive transition to remote work.
Preventive Tips
- Always back up your data.
- Keep all software and systems up to date.
- Shift to cloud-based security solutions.
- Never provide personal information when answering unsolicited phone calls, emails, and text messages.
3. The Rise in Social Media Threats
Social media has always been a big opportunity for hackers and cybercriminals. Whether you own a business or an individual account, you are at risk.
A major reason behind the surge in social media threats is that some platforms do very little in terms of account verification. The poor authentication leaves enough room for attackers to exploit these platforms.
Preventive Tips
- Use strong passwords.
- Update the privacy settings on your social media profiles.
4. Supply Chain Attacks
In December 2020, a cyberattack on the SolarWinds’ Orion network compromised the supply chain of more than 18,000 organizations. With costs running into millions of dollars, this was one of the biggest attacks in recent years that impacted the likes of the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security.
This won’t be the last supply chain attack.
As the world moves towards cloud computing and remote systems, hackers will continue to target precious data, personal privacy, and supply chain security. As the global e-commerce sales reach $5 trillion by the end of 2021, hackers have plenty of incentive to launch supply chain attacks.
Preventive Tips
- Enable real-time security updates across the network.
- Secure your system’s endpoints.
- Educate your employees about responsible security practices.
Get Your Online Security in Order
Opportunistic cybercriminals will continue to exploit the vulnerabilities present in the current security infrastructure.
You need to adopt proper security practices to fortify your data before the above-mentioned threats become more prevalent.