COVID-19: Business Threats And How IT Can Keep You Operational
The growing risk of COVID-19 infection requires companies to operate remotely. Expanding Cloud access and cybersecurity measures could help avoid a downturn.
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Businesses Turn To IT Strategies Amid COVID-19 Disruption
The growing risk of COVID-19 infection requires companies to operate remotely. Expanding Cloud access and cybersecurity measures could help avoid a downturn.
The World Health Organization recently upgraded the coronavirus threat to a pandemic. This designation has global, community, and business implications. The outbreak has forced Italy to shutter wide-ranging business and services. In terms of American companies weathering the crisis, industry leaders must act decisively to maintain operational integrity, and that means determined IT strategies.
Brick-And-Mortar Coronavirus Strategies
It’s crucial for valued employees who travel to work to take precautions that minimize the threat of infection. The Novel Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, can be transmitted from person-to-person contact or passed on through inanimate objects. Because symptoms may not manifest for weeks after contracting the contagion, it may remain active on things such as countertops, desktop computers, keyboards, doorknobs, elevator buttons, and many others. Staff members that are currently working at a facility are advised to sanitize high-traffic spaces, devices and practice washing hands with hot water and cleansers that enjoy a 60-percent or higher alcohol content, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.
COVID-19 Is Now A Cybersecurity Threat
It may be difficult to fathom, but hackers are leveraging public fear of the virus for profit. Since the first outbreak in Wuhan, China made international news. Disgraceful hackers have concocted phishing schemes. A sudden rise in coronavirus-themed websites and frightening direct emails are being laced with malicious applications.
“As the virus spreads across the globe, people are naturally searching online for the latest information and updates on how it might affect them, and what they can do to protect themselves and their families. And as you might expect, cyber-criminals are quick to take advantage of these concerns for their gain,” a Check Point report on COVID-19 cybercrime states. “Hackers around the globe have found the Coronavirus serving them well as an enabler for their activities and are still riding the wave of the epidemic. Our Global Threat Index for January 2020 shows cyber-criminals are exploiting interest in the global epidemic to spread malicious activity, with several spam campaigns relating to the outbreak of the virus.”
Heightened IT employee education and training about COVID-19 schemes are crucial in the coming weeks. Cybercriminals have reportedly been targeting areas that have even small outbreaks of the virus. Their strategy appears to be to manipulate unsuspecting people in a region with phony direct emails that appear to be from health agencies. Schemes include entering personal and credit card information to get a coronavirus test kit. Once you click on a link, digital bandits can take control of your device, penetrate a business network, and raid sensitive data.
IT Can Improve Business Continuity During COVID-19 Crisis
For companies that already allow employees remote access to data and profit-driving networks, taking the next steps to augment and expand this strategy could make a substantial difference. Critical next steps include working with a managed IT specialist to expand Cloud bandwidth and shift additional workers into virtual workspaces. Ranked among the more significant challenges will be increasing the bandwidth on the Cloud.
Fortunately, many providers are already readying for a flood of organizations undertaking this strategy. Along with augmentation, third-party IT experts can shorten the time it takes to supply workers with profiles that include appropriate levels of permissions and privileges.
Having personnel work remotely does come with a certain risk. Cybersecurity protocols can differ from in-house networks substantially when accessing the Cloud. Given hackers are working overtime to take advantage of the pandemic, new users may put your operation at increased risk. Along with adding employees to Cloud-based efforts, it is in every business’s best interest to proportionately increase cybersecurity oversight.
The COVID-19 outbreak has quickly taught the business community that incidents halfway around the world can cause local disruption. The silver lining is that health organizations, government leaders, and captains of industry are working diligently to combat the virus. It is also prompting many to change the way they manage day-to-day tasks by leaning on IT experts to mitigate risk going forward.