We’re coming up to the end of 2020 soon, and this year has seen a lot. Largely thanks to COVID-19, the cybersecurity landscape has changed drastically. Here’s a summary of some of the major changes we’ve seen this year in terms of cybersecurity trends.

Remote Work Hygiene

In our new reality, we’ve needed to work from home in a safe and secure way to protect both our personal and corporate data. Cybercriminals are out in full force now more than ever, using COVID–19 to play on people’s emotions via phishing campaigns in an attempt to gain access to their sensitive information. We’ve needed to be especially cautious when being asked to open an email attachment or click on any links, especially ones that evoke strong emotion. In many cases, our own family members and/or housemates have needed to be taken into consideration when planning for work-from-home cybersecurity.

VPN and RDP

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a remote access tool used by most organizations to allow employees, vendors, partners and other stakeholders access to their company’s corporate networks and resources. When configured and deployed correctly, a VPN can help ensure that access is secure.

Meanwhile, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) or Remote Desktop Gateway (RDG) is a technology that allows users to connect from their remote system to a computer within the corporate network that is running the RDP/RDG service (application). This allows access to a graphical user interface that mimics the functionality of a desktop computer.

In many cases, however, VPN technologies are deployed in a manner that may increase risk to an organization by opening a doorway for cyber attackers to exploit. This year, we’ve seen a number of these cases in which RDP is used as an entry point for cybercriminals.

CISOs in a Post-COVID World

As legions of employees suddenly found themselves in a work-from-home model, chief information-security officers adjusted, pivoting from working on routine tasks and toward long-term goals to establishing secure connections for newly minted remote workforces. CISOs also took steps to prevent new network threats that target remote workers and to bolster business-facing operations and e-commerce after a surge in online shopping during pandemic lockdowns. The challenges that cybersecurity organizations face have spilled over to technology providers. Those companies have done their own pivots to keep up with customers’ shifting needs and to institute new ways of doing business.

We’ve been dealing with the “new normal” for some time now. But what about the “next normal?” You know that being focused on your vision is paramount to your success. Obstacles and distractions constantly threaten your attention. Technology can be the most menacing and time-consuming of these distractions. There is a continual need to research, acquire and maintain the IT systems that enable you to reach your goals quickly and effectively. But the time spent on these tasks keeps you from concentrating on your core vision and pursuing your objectives.

At V2 Systems, we have the expertise to help you plan the right course of action for your business in a post-COVID world in 2020, 2021 and beyond.

Since 1995, Manassas Park, VA-based V2 Systems has employed local systems administrators, network engineers, security consultants, help desk technicians and partnering companies to meet a wide range of clients’ IT needs, from research, to implementation, to maintenance. Concentrate on your VISION … we’ll handle the TECHNOLOGY!