There is no doubt that the global pandemic has had a huge impact on our lives in many ways. This is a situation that has not only affected individuals but also businesses across the globe and in many industries. From forced closures and reduce capacity measures to furloughs and staff layoffs, there are many ways in which businesses have been affected.
Another impact on businesses during the pandemic has been a rise in ransomware attacks on businesses. This is something that has become far more prevalent during the past year because of the pandemic. There are measures designed to prevent and deal with these attacks – click to read the guide about ransomware removal here. Cybercriminals have stepped up their attacks on businesses for a number of reasons over the past year, and we will look more closely at this throughout this article.
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Some Reasons Behind the Increase in Attacks
There are a number of reasons for the rise in ransomware attacks on businesses since the outbreak of the pandemic. Some of the key ones are:
Sheer Desperation
One of the reasons why ransomware attacks have rocketed since the outbreak of the pandemic is because, like everyone else, cybercriminals have also been hit financially. This has led to sheer desperation in some cases, which has resulted in these criminals stepping up their activities. It is not just desperation among the criminals either – businesses hit by ransomware attacks and demands are desperate to stay on track in the current climate where all businesses face increased risks. This is something that the attackers are well aware of, and it increases their chances of being paid the ransom in order to the business to become operational again.
Less Protection for Employees
Another reason behind the increase in attacks is the fact that so many employees have been working from home over the past year. This means that they have not had the corporate cybersecurity they have in the workplace, which leaves them far more vulnerable to attacks. This is something that cybercriminals have realized and tapped into, which has led to an increase in attacks. Employees also may not have access to IT services when working from home in the same way as they did when in the workplace.
Increased Online Activities
Of course, the past year has seen the numbers of types of online activities among businesses soar, as more people have turned to online technology to continue business operations. This includes everything from holding meetings online through to dealing with customers online, and this increase in online activity has given cybercriminals increased opportunities to carry out attacks. The average business spends a huge amount of time online these days since the outbreak of the pandemic, and this has helped cyber criminals to step up their activities with greater ease.
These are just some of the reasons why businesses have become more vulnerable to ransomware attacks, and why cybercriminals are targeting businesses more than ever.