We live in interesting, scary and stressful times when the
usual social and business norms have been catastrophically upended. For
businesses as well as individuals, past concerns about cybersecurity and
privacy have evolved. How can we pivot to the new reality and respond?
According to cybersecurity and privacy expert Chris
Moschovitis, there are things we can do. Moschovitis is cybersecurity (CSX,
CISM) and Enterprise IT governance (CGEIT) certified and has written books on
these subjects - "CybersecurityProgram Development for Business: The Essential Planning Guide" (2018) and
"Privacy, Regulations, and Cybersecurity: The Essential Planning
Guide" (to be published in 2021)
Charlene Weisler: Have cybersecurity considerations changed since the
pandemic? If so, how?
Chris Moschovitis: They have not necessary changed, but they
have increased. Unfortunately, both
nation-state sponsored hackers and organized cybercriminals have no qualms
about kicking us when we’re down. And,
that’s what is happening. Campaigns of
disinformation, plus ransomware attacks against healthcare facilities have
increased.
Weisler: How can we protect
ourselves from hackers and phishers - have the rules changed during the
pandemic? And how can we best protect ourselves?
Moschovitis: The best way to protect ourselves is to be
aware that the attacks are increasing in frequency and sophistication. We are particularly sensitive, depressed, and
on the edge, hungry for information, and looking for news about a cure or a
vaccine. Beware of phishing emails
capitalizing on this stress, and be particularly careful of “medical alerts”
from government bodies. The CDC, WHO,
and the local governments will not be sending emails out asking you to supply
your personal information or clicking any links. Inspect the sender’s email address, and read
the URL very carefully to make sure it’s not a spoof. For those in IT or cybersecurity that work in
healthcare you need to recognize that you’re a target and act accordingly.
Weisler: What advice can you give companies whose workers are working
from home regarding cybersecurity?
Moschovitis: Teleworkers represent a real threat to
corporate networks. That is because they
are usually using their own computers that are not as protected as the
corporate ones. As a result, it is
critical that corporate IT departments allow remote connectivity through
carefully monitored tunnels, and expand the umbrella of corporate cybersecurity
protection to include remote workers.
The teleworkers themselves need to remain vigilant in terms of
maintaining their home computer “clean” and up-to-date with operating and
application security patches, current antivirus/antimalware software, and
exercise extreme prejudice on any email that’s asking them for personal
information, money transfers, or providing links for downloads.
Weisler: Is privacy still a concern? Don't we want to share more in
this environment?
Moschovitis: Privacy is always a concern! We may be forced,
for example, to share geolocation and behavioral data to the government in an
attempt to monitor potential COVID outbreaks.
This is already happening in some countries, and it is starting being
discussed here in the U.S. As with
everything, it will be a tradeoff between the benefit that we individually and
collectively as a society will receive, vs. the lack of privacy that may be
required. Keep in mind, that once the
horse leaves the barn, it is extremely difficult to put back in. So, if we grant access to all this
information, we may never be able to revoke it, all in the name of one valid
reason or another. We need to be at peace
with that decision.
Weisler: Do you think this is a new normal that will last after the
pandemic?
Moschovitis: Yes. This pandemic changed the world forever. Telework became a new norm, and the need for
it proved to all that we don’t need as much office space and density as we had
in the past. Social distancing will
never be looked at the same way. City vs
Suburbs pros-and-cons conversations will flare up again. The real estate market will dramatically be
impacted, in both positive and negative ways, travel and hospitality, and work
conditions and expectations will forever change. Media and entertainment will also be severely
impacted (movie theaters, theaters, concerts) especially as the numbers come in
that will confirm what most entertainment executives knew: On-demand is cheaper to distribute and brings
in just as much money as a theatrical release.
Finally, on the media platform side, there will be a “reckoning.” Facebook, google, etc., will have a very
difficult time justifying a hand-off type of curation while millions die from
disinformation posted on their platform and democratic institutions shudder. We will be dealing with the aftermath of this
pandemic for years, and our world will never be the same. It is my hope that we can all get together
and work to get this transformation right!
This article first appeared in www.Mediapost.com
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