Criminals are leveraging elevated interest in COVID-19 to send emails to unsuspecting people to infect computers with ransomware, malware or other computer viruses. And why not? According to Forbes, the COVID-19 crisis has turned the U.S. workforce into a work-from-home army, giving cybercriminals new, less secure, access points for cyber viruses and phishing attacks, revealing vulnerabilities in cybersecurity strategies for the coronavirus crisis. And since there’s a tremendous curiosity for coronavirus information — people are more likely to click without checking the credibility of the source.
Here, we talk to Julian Waits, General Manager of Cybersecurity at Business Unit at Devo, to find out how security operations center (SOC) leaders can create a culture of growth among their teams.
One thing has become clear; to abide by the “new normal” restrictions, organizations need to be constantly aware of their environments’ compliance, in real-time. To do that, they need to improve their security and situational awareness, so they can quickly assess evolving situations and respond when violations occur.
With the emergence and continuation of the pandemic, organizations are looking for viable answers to help mitigate the immersion of remote working structures by providing real solutions that will allow organizations to get their hospitals, workforce, manufacturing and educational environments back to some sense of normal.
State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced at River Springs Elementary School that the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) will purchase and distribute over $33 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies to all eighty one public school districts to support efforts to maintain and return to face to face instruction.
Security personnel are seeing their roles expand as they assist companies and communities in combating COVID-19. They are performing temperature screening, monitoring personal protective equipment (PPE) usage and physical distancing, managing building occupancy, controlling line-ups, and even assisting with contact tracing. To support new needs, and keep employees safe at the same time, security companies have instituted new training programs and methods given these changing conditions.
Fast forward to 2020, and the pandemic is causing another quantum shift in how the world thinks about security. This time around, businesses are responsible for protecting their workplaces and people from an invisible intruder. As SARS-CoV-2 continues to disrupt businesses and economies, video intercom systems are once again on the frontline of security. But this time, the intercom has the force of modern technology on its side.
UK Police just announced that crime has fallen by 28% over lockdown, in fact from 12th April there has been a 37% drop in burglaries. As well as the financial worries lockdown prompted, we were also worried about our office and storage spaces, as we didn’t know how long they would be left unattended. Of course, working in security and safety we made sure specific measures were in place to help prevent vandalism, theft, arson or property damage. However, it appears that many businesses are left susceptible to such crimes, by not having many or sometimes any security measures in place.
It sounds simple: a company must be a safe place to work, and people will want to work for companies that make them feel safe. Companies have a duty of care and responsibility to keep employees safe, even as many work remotely. But as enterprises undergo digital transformation, physical security has at times been left behind (with legacy and outdated technology systems) despite a rise in threatening events and its increasing importance for corporations. Embracing digital protective intelligence and making safety a priority is not just a way to support wise corporate values, but given the potential loss of life and the cultural, bottom line and brand reputation damage that could occur, must be a mandate for modern business operations.
Workplaces are going to need to adapt and adopt training and risk assessment protocols to keep employees healthy and safe. Below are five, foundational steps to take when developing a workforce risk management plan.