Many people have been forced to work remotely from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, leave the door open for cybercriminals.

Greg Marcyniuk of Heritage Insurance says cybercriminals know the situation and are looking to cash in on the outbreak.

“We have to be that much more aware that cybercriminals are well aware that IT departments and cybersecurity groups are stretching thin during this pandemic,” he said.

Some of the tips Marcyniuk recommended include have a remote work policy, connect to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) if possible and make sure software is up-to-date.

He went on to say that it is very important now to practice basic cybersecurity measures including having strong passwords, changing passwords and use secure wifi and not public wifi.

Marcyniuk recommended that staff take training to detect phishing attacks and to avoid using any removable media such as CDs or flash drives.

Having staff keep in close contact with the IT department was also recommended.

“Send constant reminders to those that are working from home as far as identifying possible malicious links,” Marcyniuk said.

“It’s very imperative that you have your employees be contacted on a regular basis with your IT people.”