Why cybersecurity should be a priority in 2020

There are a lot of reasons why people don’t prioritize cybersecurity, especially this year due to the global pandemic that is COVID-19. Some people think it’s unnecessary while others believe they won’t get affected or hacked in some way. There are also practical reasons like cybersecurity that cost a fair bit of money. But according to CJIS Solutions team member Mike Coppola, businesses should make cybersecurity a priority, and doubly so because of the state the world is in right now.

The biggest reason why everyone should shore up their cybersecurity is that cybercriminals are known to thrive during times of emergencies and strife. They leverage people’s fears in order to fool them into submitting personal information to bogus websites or even simply clicking on a malicious link.

Imagine getting an email from the World Health Organization that gives instructions on how to stay safe during the pandemic, as well as sharing an app that will remind you if there is an outbreak in your area. While the information might be correct, the app could be a ransomware or a keylogger which can monitor your online activity.

While companies may have cybersecurity products installed in their work computers, most Americans aren’t working in offices right now. Because of the pandemic, people who can work from home do so in order to prevent the spread of the virus and keep their families safe while still staying productive. This means a lot of unsafe devices could be connecting to your company’s network, according to Mike Coppola. Management should either give their employees work computers for them to use or offer employees funds for them to buy cybersecurity products for their devices.

Mike Coppola works for CJIS Solutions. The company provides antivirus, internet filtering, anti-spam, and anti-spyware that meets and exceeds the requirements in section 5.10.4.3 of the CJIS Security Policy. For more reads on various cybersecurity products the company offers, visit this page.