The year 2020 saw a significant increase in cyberthreats like COVID-19-themed phishing scams and malware attacks. In fact, a malware aptly named “coronavirus” was discovered last April making hard disks unusable by overwriting a computer’s master boot record.

Data security has become more vital for your business these days as your employees work from home. With your staff unable to access corporate systems, your data becomes vulnerable to cyberthreats like malware and phishing attacks.

To protect your data, you should use strong passwords, keep your applications and security solutions updated, and conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training.

In most businesses, it’s common for staff to come across tech support scams. For example, someone pretending to be from Microsoft may cold call your employee and claim that their computer has a critical problem. The fraudulent tech support personnel may ask for access to the employee’s PC to resolve the issue.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses in San Jose, San Francisco, and around the world to switch to a work from home setup. But while this setup has facilitated business continuity, it has also made companies more vulnerable to cyberthreats such as malware, phishing, and account takeovers.

Having computers that last for a long time helps your business save on costs while lessening IT-related burdens. However, computer longevity is only possible if your computers are used properly. If you are experiencing frequent computer issues, you may have a few bad PC habits, such as:

1. Letting dust and dirt accumulate
Computers collect dust and dirt over time, which can heat up their components and force the fans to spin faster.

It’s not enough to protect your business from cyberthreats like malware, distributed denial-of-service attacks, and phishing. For many organizations, the dark web is also becoming a concern.

What is the dark web?
The dark web is a hidden part of the World Wide Web, accessible only through special web browsers like Tor, which enables users and website owners to stay anonymous.

Back in the day, malware such as viruses, spyware, and Trojan horses only had the ability to disrupt computer systems. But nowadays, there is one type of malware that poses a greater danger: ransomware.

Question 1: What is ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts a user’s files, which can only be decrypted after paying a ransom, usually in Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency.

Email is one of many entry points that cybercriminals can exploit to attack your system. By using innocuous-looking messages, they can successfully plant viruses, spyware, worms, and ransomware that can steal private information or cause downtime.

But because you really can’t avoid using email, you have to be vigilant with email attachments.

Some businesses believe that they don't need to worry about getting hacked because they have nothing of value to be stolen. However, this mindset is what’s pushing hackers further into stealing data from them. And most of the time, business owners would only take action after they've already been hit by a cyberattack.

Cyberthreats are becoming more sophisticated these days, and Campbell businesses have to protect themselves more than ever. No matter how secure organizations think their IT infrastructure is, it’s still at risk of data breaches.

But how much do you know about cybersecurity preparedness? Take our short quiz to find out.