Poor cyber hygiene, WFH conditions make Chennai prone to attacks

Chennai

According to cybersecurity consultant Vijayashankar, known as Naavi, the nation-wide concern over the pandemic has offered an opening for hackers to exploit. “At this time, people are always looking out for information. This makes them susceptible to incidents of phishing through messages and e-mails on COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Working from home has forced companies to shift their operations to home computers, which are at high risk for a breach. “Chennai has been hit hard by the pandemic, and so 100 per cent of the workforce has shifted to working from home through personal computers. This, coupled with poor cyber hygiene, especially followed by manufacturing companies, proves as a perfect opening for hackers to exploit,” said Sai Krishna, chairman, Global Cyber Security Forum.

The study reported that SME in the city were the highest-hit targets, which Krishna explains is due to out-dated methodology followed by these smaller companies. “Most companies will install anti-virus and a firewall, and end things there. However, these do not offer any protection as attacks have evolved from there. Most IT employees do not have specific training or certification for cybersecurity, and are thus not equipped to handle such situation,” he said, adding that some smaller enterprises also may lack the resources to provide for separate security personnel.

Hackers might not be only financially motivated, as data itself is a valuable resource. According to Naavi, the best way to tackle the issue is to have regular assessments of devices to ensure they are free of any malware. Krishna added, “It’s not just about the technology. It’s also about the people and the policy. You need to do background checks on employees and maintain your cybersecurity policy such that your data is safe.”