As companies adopt work from home programmes to stop the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic from spreading, tech company MYOB is urging businesses to take cyber security seriously.
MYOB explained that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should focus on security if they want to successfully and safely change their operating model amid the pandemic.
“As we’ve watched countries across Europe effectively lock down their economies, it is becoming increasingly clear that businesses will be looking for ways to keep their operations running. We should be providing support to enable them to do so,” Ingrid Cronin-Knight, country manager at MYOB NZ, commented.
“Most SMEs will not have experienced a disruption to their business of this magnitude. While technology has enabled more flexibility to connect in a virtual environment, many businesses will not have the knowledge or capability to implement such a significant change quickly and safely.”
Read more: ACC issues warning on email phishing scam
With cyber attackers more likely to take advantage of businesses moving online, Cronin-Knight advised companies to update all software with the latest security patches, install and update firewalls on home services, and use technology to enable password protection.
It is also vital for companies to use a VPN or another secure communication method when connecting to the business over public Wi-Fi services. Meanwhile, those who are working from home should educate the household about the risks of scams, malware, and phishing attacks.
“We urge businesses to consider the key security and continuity risks they may face in managing a rapid transition to a work from home operation,” Cronin-Knight concluded.
