All LinkedIn Articles are posted by Victor J. Quinones, Jr., CEO, Chairman, and Co-Founder at Virtual-Q. Original article posted here.
2020 is a year we’ll never forget. Unforeseen challenges transformed societies across the globe. The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic completely changed the dynamic of business and navigating this crisis was anything but easy.
During the spike of the coronavirus, most companies were faced with a decision—either close the doors or transition to a remote workforce. While the second option was the safer approach, it didn’t come without backlash. When organizations chose the virtual route, it amplified the cyber threat landscape.
Cyber Security Review—Recapping 2020
The biggest talking points of 2020 revolved around public health concerns, economic struggles, social injustice movements, and political elections. Right on its curtails, cyber security became a major headline in its own right. Around the world, many small and medium sized businesses fell victim to data breaches and security scams. For perspective, here’s what you need to know:
Cyber Criminals Fired on All Cylinders
With the rise of remote work came a surplus of cyber crime. Most small businesses followed at-home-working orders and resumed operation outside of the office. It may have been a convenient approach, but it came with massive consequences. While network security vulnerabilities grew, the landscape of dangers became more sophisticated.
Even some of the world’s strongest of security systems lost their touch, and exposed intruders to more entry points. 55% of SMBs suffered a data breach or cyber attack as a result.
Small Businesses Were Prime Targets
Let’s paint a picture—You open a small business and start taking over the marketplace. Success is rolling in and you have nothing to worry about because as a small company, cyber criminals don’t see you as a big target since there isn’t much to steal from.
Great story, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In retrospect, smaller companies were the main victims for cyber criminal activity. In fact, 43% of cyber attacks were linked to small businesses last year.
Spear Phishing Was THE Trend of 2020
Despite being one of the oldest attack methods, email remains one of the most effective hacking outlets. That was on full display in 2020, especially with the rise of phishing attempts. Intruders developed strategies that manipulated users to open tainted emails, containing malware. In turn, 43% of spear phishing attacks were executed on SMBs.
Secure Your Business With Virtual-Q
2020 was a year unlike any other. We can’t take away what happened, but we can learn from the tragedies and build a safer, more secure future. As we move forward, we promise to do whatever it takes so that you don’t end up on the other end of a cyber security scam. With the certified security professionals at Virtual-Q in your corner, you have a team of dedicated experts to help guide you out of harm’s way. For more information on today’s security trends and the latest technologies, contact us to set up a consultation.
