Cybercrime has risen during COVID-19: here's how to stop it

The ASEAN region has been living with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 for several months now, and different countries are at different stages of crisis.

For some, it continues to be a terrifying public health threat causing lockdowns, quarantines, and mandatory social distancing. For others, it’s an inconvenience that seems to have been mostly conquered – except for the knock-on effects to their national economies, which are set to linger for much longer.

A lot has been said about how the virus has changed work culture, potentially permanently. People who shifted to working remotely out of necessity may desire to continue to do so, and many companies are allowing it, having seen that daily commutes to the office are not always necessary if employees are responsible with their time.

But while working from home—or at a beachside cafe, when those reopen—has its advantages, it also introduces certain risks. One of those is that operating outside the office network opens companies up to a variety of online vulnerabilities that they may not be used to dealing with.

Tarun Sawney, senior director of BSA | The Software Alliance, advocates for some of the world’s most innovative software companies, including those involved in cybersecurity. He offers some insights and tips on how to keep businesses and employees safe from the rising threat of cybersecurity that has seen a spike during the pandemic while many work from home.