The pandemic has challenged our society and structures by pushing medicine, the economy, and psychological tolerance to their limits…but behind the scenes (or behind our screens ????), quarantine conditions also threatened cybersecurity.
Such quick paradigm shifts accompanied by fear, confusion, and lapsed protocols present a recipe for digital disaster, one which hackers have mercilessly exploited over the past year.
Last week we noted the rise of phishing connected to COVID misinformation. The following few tips will highlight other thriving threats of 2021 (and how to combat them), starting with risks associated with remote working.
And I don’t mean the danger of an impromptu Zoom meeting.
Rise/Risks of Remote Working
You may have trusted your firm’s cybersecurity heading into 2020…but no one foresaw the oncoming crisis and few networks were equipped for the change.
A sudden shift to remote working executed by stressed-out staff without notice or preparation exposed IT systems, often with disastrous consequences: half of all organizations experienced security incidents tied to expanded out-of-office log-ins.
Surveys indicate that remote working will only expand going forward, so how can you accommodate it safely?
Remote Reassurance
You can implement several quick-fixes to increase security with minimal effort; most we’ve addressed before, but they’re significant in the context of working remotely.
Always connect remotely using a Virtual Private Network, protect your credentials with unique passwords and two-factor authentication, and only share sensitive data via secure transfer services (like Box.com) rather than as email attachments.
In the longer run, it’s critical to reassess your law firms’ security relative to the altered landscape and proactively monitor against emerging threats; services included in our BobaGuard package (along with a cyber insurance policy that includes a 24/7 Breach Hotline should the unthinkable happen).
Conclusion
Developments in 2020 demanded constant compromises that let security slip into the chaos, with remote risks proving particularly pointed for attorneys practicing virtually (as outlined in the ABA’s recent formal opinion).
To protect our lives, we endangered our livelihoods…but now have the luxury of better safeguarding both.
We’re still working remotely, but after weathering the storm, find an opportunity to shore up our systems, correct mistakes made in haste, and prepare for an altered future. BobaGuard can help.
