Since the coronavirus pandemic has taken significant effect globally, hackers and other cybercriminals have exploited the widespread anxiety and fear to target businesses. Businesses are being bombarded by unsolicited emails, robocalls, fraudulent checks from the government and more. The FTC is recognizing more and more different kinds of campaigns aimed at American businesses.
What are the different kinds of coronavirus scams?
Some of the FTC verified coronavirus scams include:
Robocalls: The FTC has taken many initiatives like lawsuits to slow down the amount of unsolicited calls that businesses receive on a daily basis. With the coronavirus, robocalls are getting more and more sophisticated. This is because many businesses are rapidly applying for economic assistance programs and are eager to get replies from the government. Hackers that are masquerading as government agencies can call businesses and get sensitive information from them. This can lead to frauds, credit card theft and more scams.
Phishing: Phishing emails have also been on the rise since the coronavirus has spread. Phishing is often more sophisticated than robocalls because the sender can have one minor difference in their email address and can still look legitimate. With phishing, the hacker focuses on getting sensitive data like usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, etc. This can lead to other contacts of yours getting scammed and many other forms of fraud.
Assistance-focused scams: Since stay at home orders have been established nationwide, the federal government, states and local counties have launched assistance programs to help businesses. Hackers have caught on very quickly and have reached out to businesses everywhere in an attempt to bait businesses into giving data like routing and account numbers. These scams are the worst because business owners think they’re getting a direct deposit but they’re being stolen from. You should never put in credit card or bank account information online unless it's through a federally approved website or through your online banking.
Managed IT can protect your business from cyber attacks
Managed IT is well-suited to deal with the different types of cyber attacks that hackers pose. Managed IT providers have significant experience in dealing with phishing, robocalls and other attacks in a preventative manner. With managed IT, your business is provided protection by proper monitoring, detection, investigation and response plans to threats. This means that regardless of the type of cyber attack, a managed IT provider can provide a comprehensive solution to fix the current attack and prevent future ones from occurring.
Skyriver IT can also help your business accommodate coronavirus measures like social distancing and self-isolation. Skyriver IT can help move your IT equipment to new office configurations to help you and your team adjust to working remotely until stay at home orders and social distancing measures are loosened. To learn more about how your business can pivot and operate efficiently during this time, talk to an expert here.
