Are Software Updates Really a Malware & Infect your PC

 Are Software Updates Really a Malware & Infect your PC

 

Is that Adobe Flash update warning you gotten legitimate? Or on the other hand, is it a trick intended to install malware on your PC?

Cybercriminals disguise malware as pop-up notifications to update Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, Internet browsers, Java or other standard software. The update notifications are intended to look legitimate, with the end goal that clueless people are probably not going to reconsider before clicking on "Install".

Be that as it may, when and where do these fake software requests will, in general, show up? What's more, how might you tell a genuine update request from a fake one? This is what you have to know.

Where Fake Software Updates Show Up 

As you are surfing the Internet, you may see a pop-up window on your PC screen, instructing you to update a specific bit of software. This may occur on the off chance that you've inadvertently installed adware on your PC. Adware's aim is to display advertising content, often in pop-up windows, on your PC; it can likewise monitor your browsing exercises. The adware may have been packaged with something free you downloaded, for example, a freeware program.

Fake software update requests can likewise show up when you're utilizing a public hotspot. For instance, there have been reports of voyagers who, while utilizing an inn's Internet, got a pop-up window alerting them to update a bit of software.

You may likewise observe a fake software update when browsing free film streaming, media, and software download sites.

Pop-up prompts aren't the main way malware gets installed on a PC, obviously. Some malware is known to seize the auto-update feature of PCs, and the client is often oblivious.

Mobile devices are progressively being focused on, too. CNBC gave an account of the ascent of Scare Package, which acts like an Adobe Flash update or anti-virus application for Android devices. Whenever installed, the malware keeps you out of your device and you're approached to pay a 'recover' to recapture control.

 

The Most Effective Method to Differentiate Between a Fake and Genuine Software Update 

The primary thing to know is that software update notifications won't come to you in email and they aren't probably going to just show up outside of any relevant connection to the subject at hand as you surf the Internet. Legitimate notification to update will originate from the software itself, particularly when you open and run the program.

On the off chance that you get a software update request that appears to be suspicious, survey it intently. Similarly, as with phishing emails, you might have the option to spot incorrectly spelt words, ill-advised utilization, absence of accentuation, and other indications. You may see that the logo for the company being erroneously spoken to may not look very right.

Additionally, investigate the reasons you're given for updating. One specific malware-spreading website told visitors to update their browsers to get "new amazing features." A legitimate update request would be progressively explicit.

Likewise, the software you're being approached to update may not be explicitly distinguished.

Step by Step Instructions to Protect Yourself 

• Don't react to software update requests when you're on a public Wi-Fi hotspot or surfing a free media or download site. 
• If all else fails, download any required updates legitimately from the software seller's website. 
• Never click links in emails that instruct you to upgrade your software. 
• Start exploring software update requests cautiously, particularly on the off chance that they appear to have shown up out of the blue. 
• Set your PC to automatically update your operating system and applications. 
• Keep your Internet security software up-to-date, and guarantee it's running consistently. 
• In the event that you think adware, spyware, or malware has been installed on your PC, utilize your Internet security suite to scan your PC's hard drive immediately.

 

Antivirus Software is Useful for PCs in Today’s Digital Era

 Antivirus Software is Useful for PCs in 

Today’s Digital Era

What Exactly Antivirus is?

The computer without the antivirus seems like the house with an open door. The open and unprotected room can draw all the intruders and burglars into the house. Likewise, the exposed computer would end up inviting all the viruses to the system. The antivirus would function as a closed-door with the security guard for the machine fending off all the malicious intruding viruses. Then, can you make the door open for intruders? The antivirus code primarily performs the prophylactic procedure. It detects any possible virus and some makes to kill it. Keep in mind that all this is generally made before the virus takes to harm your valuable information stored in the system. Thus, this means that most of these viruses are countered way before they go to do any damage to the computer. The antivirus may fight some viruses in a single time without the knowledge. Protegent360 Antivirus Software, Avast and Norton are some of the most common antivirus code that is available at this industry these times.

Some antivirus vendors provide free antivirus software with free online scanning capacity of the whole machine, critical fields simply, local disks, folders or files. The antivirus code,m as the name suggests, is a software that runs against the virus. it detects or acknowledges this virus, and so after detecting the existence of this virus, it turns on removing it from the computing system. Antivirus code works as the prophylactic so that it not only eliminates the virus but also prevents any possible virus from infecting the machine in the time.

Earlier antivirus code depended on signature-based detection to signal malicious code. Antivirus programs rely on stored virus signatures specific strings of information that represent types of known malware. This antivirus code utilizes these signatures to determine when it meets viruses that have already been identified and studied by safety experts. Signature-based malware will not detect original malware. including versions of being malware. Signature-based detection will just discover new versus when this definition file is updated with data about the original virus. With the number of recent malware signatures increasing in at 10 million each year as long ago as 2011, contemporary style databases maybe hundreds of billions, or still, trillions, of entries, making antivirus software based solely on signatures impractical. Nevertheless, signature-based detection does not normally make false positive matches.

How Antivirus Detect Virus in Your Computer?

There are two general methods that the antivirus software program uses to detect viruses, as reported in the antivirus code section. This beginning, and by far the most common method of virus discovery is using the database of virus name definitions. That makes by analysing the knowledge of the machine's hardware (its Random Access Memory (RAM), and boot spheres) and those files stored on specified or removable drives (hard drives, floppy drives, or USB flash drives), and equating those files against the information of recognized virus " signatures ". Other antivirus programs have various " signatures " to describe viruses.

Antivirus code relies on signatures to describe malware - a specific binary structure, the identification of the virus. Anti-virus code uses the virus name to analyse code and read for the mark of malicious code. When the antivirus business examines the new person and determines it to be the malware and the name is detected, is added to the information of the antivirus code. With appropriate antivirus installed, little signature updates happen as required, and discretely not to disturb the organization's process.

What Steps Should be Taken?

In managed environments, organisations should have centrally done antivirus code that is operated and supervised regularly by antivirus executives, who are also typically in charge of developing experimentation, sanctioning and delivering antivirus signature and software updates throughout the organisations, nor should they be capable to change any important contexts. antivirus executives should do periodic checks to confirm that organizations are using new antivirus software and that this code is configured right.

Install antivirus and keep the virus definitions up-to-date. Some antivirus programs also have more characteristics that detect or defend against spyware and adware. You should always decide to just provide file sharing at family or business networks, never on national networks. You may need to think about creating a dedicated list for file sharing and limit access to all different directories.

 

Signs Showing Your PC is Infected With Virus

 Signs Showing Your PC is Infected With Virus

 

As organizations go to the Internet to direct their business, their IT security turns out to be progressively helpless against many hackers and viruses. That is the reason it's much progressively important to perceive whether or not your systems are under danger from malicious software to quickly battle off the infection. So how would you know whether your company's IT security is under danger? Here are a couple of warning signs to tell on the off chance that you are a victim of virus infection.

1) Slow Computer 

The most widely recognized symptom of a virus infection is a slow running computer. Are your operating systems and programs taking some time to fire up? Is your data bandwidth suspiciously slow? Provided that this is true, your computer may potentially have a virus.

2) Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) 

In the event that your PC crashes routinely, it's generally either a specialized problem with your system or a virus infection. You probably won't have installed the most recent drivers for your device or the programs you're running might be incompatible with your hardware. In the event that none of these problems are apparent in your PC, then the virus could be conflicting with other programs causing your crashes.

3) Programs Opening and Closing Automatically 

Viruses can likewise be available when your programs are opening and closing automatically. Nonetheless, do check if a few programs are intended to carry on this way or in the event that they are just incompatible to run with your hardware first before coming to the resolution that your computer has a virus.

4) Absence of Storage Space 

There are a few sorts of viruses that can manipulate the files saved money on your computer. Generally will in general top off your hard drive with suspicious files. On the off chance that you find any obscure programs that you have never installed, don't open the application, search up the program's name over the Internet and use Antivirus Software protections once you're certain that it's a virus.

5) Endless Pop-Ups and Spam 

Visit and add pop-up windows are a warning. Pop-ups may prompt you to visit other websites to download antivirus or other software programs, which instead may install a virus. Malicious pop-ups and spam could likewise secretly install spyware that could capture your browser or steal your passwords and other personal information without your knowledge. At the point when you finally get on, it may be too late.

6) Obscure Programs Start When You Turn on Your Computer 

Computer viruses can make widespread problems. Adding symbols and toolbars that you didn't set up is only a glimpse of something larger. On the off chance that obscure programs load when you turn on your computer or other connected devices, turn it directly off again. You've been infiltrated.

7) Changes to Your Homepage 

Is your homepage randomly switching to another website? Is it accurate to say that you can't reset it? Provided that this is true, you likely have a virus. Viruses can implement changes to your homepage and make mistake messages, browser blunders, and easy route files.

8) Your Battery Drains Rapidly 

Here's another sign that a virus may have infected your computer and is multiplying: a drained battery. As the virus continues to duplicate, it utilizes assets from your computer and makes greater activity on your computer. Thus, your battery life is diminished.

What to Do if Your Computer has a Virus 

You can make a few strides on the off chance that you presume your computer has been infected. To begin, you could dispose of the virus manually yourself. You likely should do a web search and perform a not insignificant rundown of steps to find out what's really going on. Except if you're a specialist, it tends to be convoluted.

A less difficult approach is to install a PREMIUM ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE program from a solid company. You can let the professionals do it for you to guarantee you're not leaving your computer open to any vulnerabilities. An antivirus program, otherwise called security software, may likewise scan your external hard drive when it's plugged in, however, remember few out of every odd program checks the hard circle.

 

Effective Ways to Flush Out Malware From Your PCs By Antivirus Software

 Effective Ways to Flush Out Malware From Your PCs By Antivirus Software

Be careful the indications of a PC tormented by malware: slower-than-regular performance, an abrupt spate of pop-ups, and other atypical issues. Indeed, strange behaviour is sometimes the consequence of hardware clashes, however, your first action ought to be to preclude the chance of infection by a virus, spyware, or other loathsome substance—regardless of whether you have one of the Best Antivirus Software installed.

Follow this bit by bit control for instructions on the best way to dispose of malware.

Step by Step Instructions to Expel Malware From a PC

1) Disconnect from the Internet 

Disconnecting from the internet will keep a greater amount of your data from being sent to a malware server or the malware from spreading further.

2) Enter Safe Mode 

On the off chance that malware is set to load automatically, this will forestall the malware from loading, making it simpler to expel. To enter safe mode:

• Restart your PC.
• When you see the sign-in screen, hold down the Shift key, and select Power → Restart.
• After your PC restarts, to the “Choose an option” screen, select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Start-up Settings.
• On the next window, click the Restart button and wait for the next screen to appear.
• A menu will appear with numbered start-up options. Select number 4 or F4 to start your PC in Safe Mode.

Disclaimer: Avoid logging into accounts during the malware removal

To avoid sharing your personally recognizable information, don't log into sensitive accounts while your device is infected.

3) Check Your Activity Monitor for Malicious Applications 

In the event that you realize that you've installed a suspicious update or application, close the application if it's running. Your activity monitor shows the processes that are running on your computer, so you can perceive how they influence your computer's activity and performance.

In Type to search type → Resource Monitor → Find End Task → Right Click → End Process

4) Run a Malware Scanner 

Fortunately, malware scanners can evacuate many standard infections. Yet, recall that in the event that you already have Antivirus Software dynamic on your computer, you should utilize an alternate scanner for this malware check since your current antivirus software may not recognize the malware initially.

5) Fix Your Internet Browser 

Malware is probably going to change your internet browser's homepage to re-infect your PC. Check your homepage and association settings using the means underneath for regular browsers.

To verify your homepage on Chrome:

• In the top right corner of your Chrome browser, click More → Settings.
• Select the dropdown menu in the “Search engine” section.
• Verify your default homepage.

To verify your homepage on Internet Explorer:

• Select the Tools icon.
• Click Internet options.
• In the General tab, find the “Search” section and click Settings.
• Verify your default homepage.

6) Clear Your Cache

After you've checked your homepage setting, it's basic to clear your browser's cache. Follow these means underneath to figure out how to clear your cache for Chrome and Internet Traveller.

To clear your store on Chrome:

History → Clear Browsing Data → Time Range → Untouched → Clear Data.

To clear your store on Internet Explorer:

Tools → Safety → Erase browsing history.

Guide Your Elders to Learn Digital & Cyber-security

 Guide Your Elders to Learn 

Digital & Cyber-security

Many of you were born into the digital world. Help your parents get on with technology and cybersecurity.

In this post, I want to tell you a story about my parents; more precisely, about how they discovered the technology for themselves and what that meant for me. At the end of the article, I will try to recap the key points and give advice to those who want to safely introduce their parents to the world of technology.

My Beginnings in Technology

I can still remember the day I bought my first smartphone - an HP iPAQ that ran on Windows Mobile 2003 SE. I brought it home back then and showed it to my parents. My father picked it up and said: “Looks good, but where is the keyboard?” He then tried his luck at using the cell phone but quickly concluded that he would rather use his old Nokia with the reliable one Numeric keypad would remain.

My parents are not of the digital native generation; in fact, they didn't start working with computers until the early '90s. I can still remember my father treating the keyboard like a typewriter. Our first family computer was a 100 MHz Pentium with 6 MB RAM, a 1.2 GB hard drive, and an external 28.8 kbit / s modem. The computer ran under Windows 3.11, but later we updated the operating system to Windows 95.

As far as I can remember, I always tried troubleshooting when the computer had a problem. Whenever the internet didn't work again, I was the one calling technical support; when mIRC hung itself for the umpteenth time, it was me who connected the chat client to the correct server.

My interest in programming rose when I was writing scripts for mIRC - a chat program we applied before ICQ or MSN Messenger. Maybe my love for computers and my later work in a technology company can be explained by the fact that my parents bought the computer when I was a child and learned to love it back then.

From Clunky Cell Phones to Smartphones

One day when both of my parents' phones needed to be updated due to battery problems, my brother and I persuaded them to buy two new BlackBerrys. My brother already used one. Dad's first reaction after the phone call was that he would need toothpicks to hit the right keys on the keyboard.

While my brother tried to explain to my parents how to use their new phones, my father said desperately: "I think I have to study first to understand how to use the part." Mom, on the other hand, was with them after a few days Easy with basic functions.

After a couple of years with the BlackBerry - and with the advent of touchscreen phones with larger displays - my brother and I decided that it was time for our parents to own two smartphones that could do the job. We both voted for the Microsoft Lumia 525, which we believed was the easiest smartphone to use at the time and the least bit of malware caught.

Shortly after my father got used to his new smartphone, Microsoft announced that the company would end support for Lumia phones, which meant the apps my parents used to use would no longer receive updates. So we had to think about the two new smartphones again. This time the iPhone won. As always, we showed our parents how to use the device again, and they both learned relatively quickly.

The Moral of the Story':

Choose Gadgets With a Simple Interface.

If possible, stick to the same operating system. The migration from a flip phone to BlackBerry, then to Windows Phone and then to iOS made our work much more difficult. Had we decided on an iPhone from the start - at least in my parents' case - we would have saved ourselves a lot of problems.

Choose a system that has long-term support. Of course, things like this are always difficult to predict, but I think it's unlikely that Google will suddenly stop developing Android or quit Apple iOS for the next five years. To be fair, I have to say that both the BlackBerry and the Windows Phone were very popular back then and a longer lifespan could have been expected.

Choose a system that you know and use. It is much easier to explain things that you already know about.

Digital Parents

My father is a dialysis patient and always complained about the enormous boredom he felt during his treatment. So we bought him an iPad because he was already familiar with the user interface from his iPhone. He then signed up for some online writing classes using his iPad.

He called me regularly to ask about downloading and installing certain apps. Sometimes he would dig deeper to find out how to send emails with attachments. I tried to explain all the steps to him with all the patience of an angel because when I answered him once that I was too busy, he said to me the trailing; “I have wasted 20 years of my life raising you. So you can probably spend 5 minutes explaining to me how it works."

Some parents may struggle with technology in silence - and they will have their reasons - but that was a turning point for me. My parents made me who I am today. And now it was my turn to help them - and after all, technology was an issue I could help them with.

Of course, my parents didn't know much about cybersecurity either. But since I was already in the industry at the time, I knew a lot about the threats there were and I decided to teach my parent's safe cyber hygiene.

It wasn't easy to explain to you some things that felt logical and obvious to me. Fortunately, our encyclopedia was able to help, and eventually, they began to take up one and the other concepts.

At one point my parents became real professionals in analyzing their WhatsApp messages. They were able to distinguish authentic messages from phishing attempts and knew whether or not a link was a cyber threat.

My father even started telling his friends about malware and phishing campaigns. Although with them (just like me at first) he came across granite. All they knew was that they needed virus protection for their computer, nothing more.

And the Moral of the Story':

• You need to be patient and explain basic things to your parents. Take your time! After all, your parents raised you.
• 
  
• Explaining cyber hygiene to the elderly is a must. Simply installing one of the Best Antivirus Softwareutility is not enough. Start with the basics, but teach them how to spot threats, especially phishing.
• 
  
• Start with the basics early enough.

 

Cybersecurity Tips to Avoid Exposing Yourself Online

 Cybersecurity Tips to Avoid Exposing Yourself Online

1. Strong Passwords

Although in many pages it is already a requirement, we must try to have secure keys on whatever platform we use: keys that include special characters, uppercase and lowercase, and interleaved numbers. Firms like Norton offer strong password generators that are very robust. And if you use a good password repository, a secure one, you won't have to remember them every time you want to access a service. On the other hand, experts recommend not using the same password on several platforms, since not all pages have the same level of security.

2. Protect Your Personal Network From Potential Intruders

Modern routers have good levels of security, but many people forget to change their factory default passwords. And neglecting this is giving cybercriminals a fantastic gateway to all the devices on your network, either to steal valuable information or to use your computers for obscure purposes. And this is something key, as there are more and more devices connected to the internet at home.

3. Identify the Most Common Criminal Practices

One of the best known is 'phishing', which consists of the impersonation of organizations or companies to request personal data, of great value on the black market. The goal ranges from selling databases to getting bank details - if they can get users to reveal them - to robbing people. There is also the 'ransomware' or 'hijacking software', an email or website includes a link that, when clicked, initiates a download that renders the device unusable until receiving payment for its 'release'.

4. Official Bodies Do Not Ask Users for Data via Email

Official entities, whether banking or state, should never ask for personal data by means of an electronic message, much less with an external questionnaire or with a simple “answer here”. The email is usually only used for advertising campaigns or to provide information.

5. Question Unknown Senders

When receiving emails, and especially if they contain alarming messages such as "your account will be frozen", it is advisable to carefully check the address from which it comes. The most skilled tend to imitate the originals with only subtle changes. One reason for suspicion should be the inclusion of numeric or special characters in the sender. If it happens to you and you have doubts, go to the official page or contact the service supposedly in trouble directly. And never click on any link that comes in that email.

6. Don't Rely Only on 'Spam' Blocks

Experts say that browser filters that prevent the arrival of unwanted messages or pop-ups are usually effective. However, they can fail if they are not properly updated. The same happens with antivirus, which is a bet on the probability of criminals.

7. Go to Official Stores

Making purchases and payments on the web is usually very simple, but you must not lose sight of certain care. You have to verify that the applications or pages are safe, most offer some guarantee, and if you do not have one, you have to review the information you provide: where they have a fiscal address, what data they collect from users, and for what purpose, payment methods and return policy.

8. Know the Possible Payment Methods

To make payments online, you have to choose the most appropriate method according to the type of purchase. Credit or debit cards, for example, can be the most convenient, but if there is no web security, it can be very risky. In these cases, it is better to use independent payment platforms such as PayPal or PSE, which act as intermediaries between us and the seller, and the store does not have access to our data.

9. Handle Sensitive Data With Care

When working or sharing sensitive information, special care must be taken online. To begin with, many companies suggest using internal or exclusive chats and, if you don't have them, sharing the information through PDF files and not directly copied as a message. They also recommend not to make copies, if not necessary, of information about workers, clients, or the professional activity of a person.

10. Beware of 'Fake News'

Many digital scammers hide behind false news or misleading advertisements that they spread both on social networks and via 'e-mail' to redirect us to a malicious address. Therefore, before sharing any link or content, you must check that its sources are reliable.

11. Attention to the Web Address

Be careful to browse only websites that start with HTTPS (not HTTP). They tend to be more secure and the information will be more protected. These have a green padlock to the left of the URL.

12. Download Only the Necessary Files

As mentioned before, cybercriminals can hide in topics of interest or pretend to be official communications so that we download attachments. Therefore, before downloading any file, its importance and, of course, its origin must be evaluated. This, in addition, to take care of the memory of the device.

13. Intruders in Video Conferencing

Before starting the video conferences, make sure that all the participants in the call are known. Also in shared documents that are open to the public and can provide important information.

14. Disable Add-ons

Browsers are often full of search engines or utilities that, in some cases, collect our browsing data or maybe ways to introduce viruses or malicious 'software'. But all browsers include in the options controls of the add-ons ('plugins') that allow you to uninstall or disable those of doubtful nature.

15. Keep the 'software' Updated

Finally, it is necessary to keep both the operating system and the installed programs and applications updated with their latest version to prevent possible vulnerabilities from affecting our privacy on the network. Likewise, it is necessary to check that the antivirus is up to date and that it is reliable like Complete Security Software, since not all have the same capabilities, less if they come from free downloads or if they are trial.

 

Why Firewall if You Have One of the Best Antivirus Software for PCs

 Why Firewall if You Have One of the 

Best Antivirus Software for PCs

Very often, personal computer users are faced with such a concept as a firewall and, unfortunately, do not always understand the difference between a firewall and Antivirus Software.

Windows Firewall

Windows Firewall dates back to Windows XP SP2 and is still in use today. Some personal computer users, not noticing the difference between a firewall and antivirus (if there is a second), turned off the firewall, considering it useless. Unfortunately, such people are very deeply mistaken. In simpler terms, a firewall is a means of detecting and alerting the user to a problem, and antivirus is a means of finding malicious software on a computer and fixing it. Still, you need to understand these concepts in more detail.

The launched firewall is blocking various incoming connections. For example, before the advent of the firewall at the heart of Windows operating systems, a user's computer could become infected with a computer worm in a matter of minutes, even if an antivirus was installed on the personal computer. Yes, the antivirus could detect the problem and fix it, but malware still entered the system. With the release of Windows XP SP2, users no longer need to find and install a firewall on their own. The operating system firewall can block access to various system resources in the event that the user is connected to a public network, not home. In the event that the user is connected to a home network, he can independently open access to any data.

Naturally, the user has the right to install on his computer not only the original Windows firewall but also a third-party one. Only in this case, they will inform the user about the found threat absolutely always, while the original firewall does it in the background, and in the end, the user will still get as much benefit from the free Windows firewall as from a third-party one.

Summing Up

It goes without saying that you need to have both a firewall and an ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE on your computer. While the former will notify the user about the majority of malicious programs from the outside (from the Internet), the latter will eliminate them. Consequently, the presence of both programs is extremely important to ensure the proper level of security on the user's personal computer, but even in this case, one hundred percent guarantee against infection is impossible, since new malicious software appears all the time.

 

Tips to Protect Your Business While Working Remotely From Home

 Tips to Protect Your Business While Working Remotely From Home

Technology changes, life habits change, and the way we work is changing. But no matter how we operate, no one is removing the inevitable obligation to protect our assets in order to keep the business running smoothly, protect the information we manage, and maintain business secrets.

Unsurprisingly, over the past few years, the technical and technological complexity of our business environment and the increasingly expanded network perimeter have expanded the attack surface. Securing the network perimeter is no longer enough: it is vital to secure countless endpoints such as laptops, mobile phones, tablets, and many other Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The network perimeter boundary has become even more blurred as a result of the increased use of practices such as telecommuting. This way of working is becoming more common among modern businesses. In fact, over the past 15 years, the number of people working from home has increased by 140%.

However, the number of people working from home has skyrocketed in the past few weeks. The reason for this sudden surge in the popularity of teleworking is the global coronavirus crisis COVID-19. To try and contain the infection, many companies have begun relocating their employees to work from home. However, many of these companies have started to do this very quickly, and may not have taken into account all the corporate information security issues that may arise in connection with this.

5 Tips for Securing Remote Access to Your Corporate Network

To access the corporate network, most companies provide computers and dial-up connections so that an employee can access corporate services using their own Internet connection. But how can we guarantee the safety of the entire connection process?

1. The computer trying to connect obviously needs to be protected with one of the Best Antivirus Software  with extended protection options. Therefore, to strengthen security, it is necessary to have an EDR system that will verify that all processes performed by this computer are reliable. Thus, it will be possible to stop cyberattacks that do not use malware, as well as complex and unknown attacks, thanks to which attackers can penetrate the corporate network through the employee's computer without his knowledge.

2. The connection between the computer and the corporate network must always be secured with a VPN (a virtual private network). Such a private network allows you to create a secure local area network without the need to physically connect its members to each other. It also allows them to remotely use the data tunnels of their office servers.

3. Passwords used to access corporate services, and employee passwords, in general, must be complex and difficult to decipher to avoid detection. Unsurprisingly, it is important to use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to confirm that the connection is being requested by the correct user and is not an attempt at identity fraud. Thanks to this dual system of checking user access to company services, it is possible to more effectively protect access to VPN, to employee logins for corporate portals and resources, to cloud applications. It will even help you comply with data protection requirements.

4. Firewall systems, whether virtual or physical, are the first line of defense in corporate network security. These systems monitor inbound and outbound traffic and make decisions to block or allow specific traffic based on a set of previously defined security policies. Thus, these systems are key elements of protecting the corporate network, especially when you consider the additional traffic generated by remote workers to create a barrier between protected, monitored, and reliable internal networks and less reliable external networks.

5. Monitoring services for networks, applications, and users, as well as response and troubleshooting services are also required to monitor and ensure business continuity when its employees work remotely. It is important to prepare them for the amount of data they will have to process in the coming days. The increased use of teleworking can also place additional strain on network monitoring tools or detection and response services as they now have to monitor more devices and processes. One of the resources that must be monitored with special attention are documents containing confidential or confidential information. For this, we need to have a tool * capable of auditing and monitoring unstructured personal data on computers: from data at rest to data in use and copying. This way, your company data is protected wherever it is.

Good Habits When Working Remotely

In addition to the dangers to the corporate network, the presence of employees working outside the office can also be a problem in terms of safety hygiene.

First, many employees will use USB drives to retrieve data from the office, thereby increasing the likelihood of confidential information leaking through the spread of information and even the loss of these devices. Moreover, in such a situation, employees are more likely to send documents containing corporate confidential companies to their personal email addresses to facilitate access to them at home. In these cases, the protection of such personal email addresses may be noticeably weaker than the protection of corporate email addresses.

With such an increased attack surface and with employees outside the corporate network, the most important thing is to exercise caution. The first thing to do is educate employees about the risks of teleworking, as well as restrictions on the use of devices they use when working remotely. They should not visit suspicious websites or open suspicious emails (especially attachments from unknown senders) to avoid falling victim to phishing attacks.

In addition to the risks posed by the increased use of teleworking, cybercriminals have also taken advantage of the coronavirus crisis to conduct phishing campaigns. Attackers have been sending coronavirus-related emails since January to try to trick users into downloading and running malware. Some of these emails impersonate government agencies sending information about the virus; others look like orders to buy face masks and are designed to get employees to send money to a cybercriminal. There have also been instances where emails were sent on behalf of an employer promising to provide additional information about the company's teleworking policy in an attempt to steal credentials.

This growth in telecommuting due to exceptional circumstances will, for many reasons, become a litmus test for many companies. In any field of activity, information security is a cornerstone. Take advantage of all the resources modern security technology can provide to your company to ensure reliable, stable, and secure remote work of employees.