At SRN, our focus is on helping companies deploy and maintain secure networking environments, a role that we take very seriously. Each day we perform the essential task of proactively monitoring and managing networks for some of the world’s most recognizable companies. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, companies are relying on remote workers more than ever to fulfill their business missions. As the crisis deepens, we are seeing urgent warnings from security firms and law enforcement about threats targeting both companies and their at-home workforce. 

While most companies already had remote access capabilities in place, the sheer number of employees that are using these capabilities is unprecedented. During the early weeks of the crisis, many businesses were overwhelmed by expanding their remote-work capabilities to workers who never used these capabilities before.

What we are urging companies to do today is RE-EVALUATE their remote work programs and processes, making sure they are efficient and secure. The increased exposure to critical company infrastructure is opening new vectors of attack for the world’s cybercriminals. We’ve compiled some resources to help you along.

Re-evaluate Your Remote Workforce Security Strategies
Once you have your business operating smoothly with remote workers, it is essential that you re-evaluate your security policies and procedures.

• Tackling Additional Security Concerns for Remote Workers
• UB School of Management Cybersecurity Expert Offers Tips for Teleworkers during Coronavirus Pandemic
• COVID-19: Remote Workforce Security Strategies
• COVID-19 and the Need for ‘Digital Distancing’
• Making it easier for your remote workforce to securely access all the apps they need, from anywhere

Increase Vigilance for Phishing Attacks
The urgency of the COVID-19 crisis is providing a golden opportunity for cybercriminals looking to target at-home workers with phishing emails looking to capture personal information.

• Two New COVID-19 Related Phishing Scams
• COVID-19 Phishing Schemes Escalate; FBI Issues Warning
• COVID-19 Scam Roundup – April 6, 2020

Lock Down Your Zoom and other teleconferencing solutions
Zoom, the teleconferencing service that everyone seems to be using, has come under considerable criticism for revelations that their tools lack important security measures, allowing unauthorized personnel to join meetings by using public meeting IDs — it’s called “Zoombombing.” It’s time to lock that down:

• Zoom issues: People hijacking streams, possible security flaws
• Don’t believe Zoom: Its video calls are not encrypted end-to-end
• Harden Your Zoom Settings to Protect Your Privacy and Avoid Trolls

Take Advantage of Your Vendor’s Tools
In many cases, technology vendors are making software and resources available for free during this emergency. Microsoft is extending the use of Teams software to all organizations that are licensed to use Office 365. There are dozens of other companies offering solutions for free, including Adobe, Slack, Atlassian, and more. See the links below.

• Microsoft is making Teams available for all organizations licensed for Office 365
• Support remote workers using Microsoft Teams
• Free Software That Businesses, Schools And Others Can Use During The COVID-19 Crisis

Call SRN if you need help
We are here to help! Contact SRN if you need any advice on scaling-up your company’s secure remote access, cloud computing, collaboration tools, and other capabilities.