There has been a rise in cybercrime threats taking advantage of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Malicious actors have been exploiting consumer-grade network equipment such as small office/home office routers, publishing malware-infused mobile applications to the Android App Store and deploying phishing campaigns used to steal credentials or install malware on Windows-based systems. With an increased number of users working remotely, an organization should:
- If an organization’s users are permitted to utilize personal phones, computers, or other devices for remote access to the organization’s systems and data, configure remote access solutions to require and check for security protections such as installed anti-malware software, secure connection protocols, and restrict the saving of screenshots or application output to the local device storage
- If possible, obtain remote users’ external IP addresses to ensure that remote connections are only originating from known locations
- Proactively monitor the account activity of any users authorized to work from home to ensure that it aligns with their assigned roles and the organization’s expectations
