MailGuard Blog

“Hybrid work represents the biggest shift to how we work in our generation. And it will require a new operating model, spanning people, places and processes” 

Among other things, 2020 reminded us how fundamental cybersecurity is to business continuity.

About a month ago, we reported a rise in COVID-19 themed email scams that were infiltrating inboxes worldwide. These included emails impersonating the World Health Organization, through to those selling face masks at unbelievable prices.

In recent days, new reports have emerged about hackers attempting to sell zero-day exploits targeting Mac OS X and Windows users, with price tags for the vulnerabilities as high as $500,000. 

It’s been several weeks since many companies (mine included) implemented a remote working policy to keep our employees safe in light of the evolving COVID-19 situation.

In every company, the HR function plays a critical strategic role in coping with disruption – but what happens when disruption suddenly becomes the norm?  

It’s happened to the best of us. Trying to log onto a conference call and forgetting the meeting ID and password. Talking with the mute button on or even experiencing ‘frozen faces’ during a video call. Be it due to technological fails or human error, the world of virtual conferencing is full of embarrassing (and sometimes hilarious) mishaps.

Recently, we have seen a surge in cyber-attacks that are capitalising on fears around COVID-19, like this scam intercepted by my team at the end of February, and wider media reports like this one with cybercriminals creating thousands of illegitimate Coronavirus-related websites on a daily basis.