In recent times, teleworking has increased considerably. More and more workers carry out their functions from home. This has its advantages, but there are also some cybersecurity issues to be aware of. In this article we echo how Phishing attacks have grown as remote work has done.
Teleworking increases Phishing attacks
A Phishing attack basically consists of a bait that a cybercriminal launches in order to steal passwords or information . For example, we receive an email that pretends to be from a platform such as Netflix or from a social network such as Facebook. It alerts us to an alleged problem and asks us to log in. The problem is that, by doing so, we send the password to a server controlled by the attackers.
Teleworking has made these types of attacks grow. According to a report by the Palo Alto Network, they have seen how the number of Phishing web pages has grown considerably at the same time as remote work has done.
Why is this happening? One of the causes is that workers, at least a large part of them, have begun to connect through networks that are not protected by a firewall , to use personal computer equipment that may be protected and, ultimately, not to navigate with so much security. In addition, at home we have many computers connected by Wi-Fi and not all of them are protected.
Sectors most affected by Phishing
If we focus on which economic sectors have suffered the most Phishing attacks, we can name telecommunications, high-tech industries, agriculture, education, public administration, transportation, logistics and the media.
In one way or another, all these sectors have increased the number of remote workers in the last year. Many of them have had to quickly adapt to a reality for which they were not prepared both in terms of knowledge and technical equipment.
This has made them vulnerable to possible attacks. For example, an employee who has had to start using services such as Zoom or Skyp e to be in contact with his colleagues, has been able to suffer Phishing attacks that aim to steal the passwords of these platforms.
Now, what can we do to protect ourselves from Phishing? Without a doubt, the best advice is common sense . We must avoid making mistakes that could affect security and privacy. For example, be very careful with the links that we open. You never have to log in through a link that comes to us by email, social networks or any messaging program such as WhatsApp. They tend to send, for example, insecure shortened links.
In addition, another interesting tip is to always have security programs that protect us. A good antivirus, such as Windows Defender, Avast, Bitdefender or any other, can help us protect the system and prevent the entry of malicious software.
On the other hand, another point to take into account is to always keep the equipment updated . Attackers often rely on vulnerabilities in order to launch their attacks and steal passwords. If we have all the patches installed we will be more protected.