Digital platforms have suddenly occupied the centre stage of every interaction and collaboration with the outbreak of COVID-19. The dependence on technology and the ‘new-normal’ situation born out of this pandemic such as work from home demand a re-think approach to cybersecurity. It is one of the biggest threats emerging in the post-COVID phase. There has been a 400% increase in the reported complaints of cyber-attacks to the cyber division of FBI, from what they were seeing pre-coronavirus.
Cybersecurity is a dynamic domain of computing information and technology. Cyber-attacks are nothing new. Digital technology has been employed in various critical infrastructures to achieve high-level efficiency and productivity. But with the outbreak of COVID-19, the cybercriminals are exploiting it as an opportunity to send Phishing emails claiming to have important updates or encouraging donations, impersonating trustworthy organizations, CERT-In confirmed. Apart from financial motives, cybercriminals are driven by the most lucrative areas of data-theft.
In the corporate world, the most important motive of any business firm is to maintain its continuity in the industry. Besides, protecting one’s tangible assets, protecting non-tangible assets form a critical point for any enterprise. During the pandemic situation, the number of incidences of cyber-attacks has surged. Malware, Spyware, Ransomware, and Trojans, which demand payments after launching a cyber-attack, have been successful during the pandemic on a level that was not seen before. Several thousand malicious domains and websites are reported to have been created in a short span. Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the situation, where too much dependence on laptops and smartphones have made us vulnerable to the insecurities of the cyber world.
As more organizations get inter-connected, the risk of security increases. Hence, it is important for companies to recognize the advances in technology and to be double-edged in the world of cyberspace. Realizing the scope of the threat, the government is now planning to amend National Cyber Security Policy 2013. The extended dimension for handling cybersecurity emergency response and crisis management needs to be dealt with precisely.
