Ransomware, breaches and more: evolving cyberthreats in the pandemic era

There’s no greater threat to business growth than a cyberattack. A breach can cost a company millions in lost revenues and legal fees, not to mention the reputational damage that often happens after an attack. In a pandemic environment, where more people are working from home for public-health reasons and everything is being done online, the potential for a breach has never been higher.

Threat actors are also getting far more sophisticated—they’re breaking into networks through smart devices, they’re creating more realistic phishing emails, they’re even dumpster diving to get highly personal information that can then be sold for top dollar on illegal market sites or used to hold a company’s systems hostage until a ransom is paid. It’s also unclear what companies are liable for; you may still get sued even if you’ve done what you think is right.

Clearly, the stakes are high and only increasing, which means businesses must make sure they’re doing everything they can to protect themselves and their customers. Our cybersecurity trends series, Ransomware, breaches and more: evolving cyberthreats in the pandemic era, looks at the many ways that attackers are breaching companies today, and how executives and business owners can keep their information safe. Explore the series:

The growing threat of data breaches

Cybercriminals are targeting more diverse data sources, to sell and to use for extortion. The first article looks at how this shift in focus has been largely driven by the pandemic, which has accelerated both the evolution of cybercrime and how organizations can protect themselves.

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Stealing physical data in a digital world

The second article explores how threat actors are finding new ways to steal information, including by tracking how often you go to the gym.

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Four types of breach you need to know about

Attackers are now using a variety of ways to steal data and dollars. This last article in our three-part cybersecurity series looks at how they’re getting into people’s homes and networks.

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