Beware of cyber-criminals as COVID-19 continues

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POUGHKEEPSIE – Experts and law enforcement are warning business owners and individuals working from home that cyber-crime has been on the rise since the isolation due to COVID-19.

Panelists on a Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce webinar discussed what cybersecurity threats are trending and what measures to take to be safe while working from home.

Cybercriminals are currently taking advantage of the fear individuals have surrounding COVID 19 and the fact that most businesses have switched to remote operation, probably without much time for security preparation. 

Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s New York office Cyber Branch, Richard Jacobs, said they’re seeing all manner of new crimes, including the fraudulent sale of medical equipment and scarce resources, sale of cures, vaccines, fraudulent charitable donations, “pay or become infected schemes, criminals threatening to shut down critical systems, denial of service, infected links and recently exploitation of virtual environments, like Zoom or WebX.

“These are not crimes that are necessarily new, but they have been adapted to exploit the current crisis and exploit the panic that people are feeling right now, which may cause them to do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do,” said Jacobs.

Those working from home, businesses remotely operating their servers, or individuals using the internet more often due to isolation were provided some tips to enhance their cybersecurity:

  • back up and encrypt data when possible
  • train employees in security principles
  • get a robust firewall program
  • secure Wi-Fi
  • limit authority to install software, view data and information
  • use a VPN (virtual protected network) service
  • use organized issued remote access
  • use protections like virtual machines when visiting suspect sites or using links from unknown sources
  • don’t post virtual meeting passwords or meeting IDs to social media
  • never use the same password twice
  • virtual meeting hosts should use unique identifiers



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