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Think Security Bulletin #10 17 April 2020
** Special bulletin on secure remote working ** Now that virtually everyone is working from home, we thought we'd focus in this bulletin on how to ensure we remain secure in the new environment and circumstances we find ourselves in. Below are some key things that you need to know, as well as some practical hints and tips.
The "threat landscape" You will no doubt have seen many news reports of increases in scamming activity that are specifically targeting the situation we find ourselves in: websites selling products that don't exist, phishing and other email scams, Zoombombers etc. Last week, the governmental body responsible for cyber security in the UK, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), published a joint communication with its counterparts in the US warning of the prevalence of threats and scams related to Covid-19. The following threats were specifically called out: Phishing (both email and SMS messaging) using the subject of coronavirus or Covid-19 as a lure Malware distribution using coronavirus or Covid-19 themed lures Attacks against newly (and often rapidly) deployed remote access systems There is significant activity from malicious cyber actors looking to exploit both individuals and organisations, and it's really important we continue to adopt a paranoid approach to our security. Below are two things to be particularly diligent about that will help keep you and the firm secure in the new threat landscape:
1. Keep your home IT equipment secure You will no doubt recall that recently you will have had to evidence that the device on which you are accessing the firm's systems meets the Minimum Technical Requirements. Whilst your device was compliant at that point, it is important to note that there is an ongoing requirement for you to keep your Operating System and your anti-malware software up-to-date. In practice, this means installing updates on your device whenever they become available, and running regular malware scans. Doing this ensures that vulnerabilities that inevitably emerge in software are quickly "patched", and that if anything nefarious does get on your device it is identified (and hopefully neutralised) before doing any damage.