Ask almost anyone what the top global story was for 2020, and they will likely start with the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is much more to this story. 2020 will also be remembered as the year of breaches. The year that security events exploded and cyber incidents underscored the importance of cyber security in new ways. Consider the following snapshot of some of a sample of news headlines, and the rise of cyber attacks and breaches speaks for itself.

• ReliaQuest: “Solarigate, SUNBURST aka FireEye and SolarWinds Compromise – Recommended Actions to Limit Your Exposure”
• Reuters: “SolarWinds hackers accessed Microsoft source code, the company says”
• Bizjournals.com: "Cyberattacks on the rise during the Covid-19 pandemic"
• Government Technology: "How Is Covid-19 Creating Data Breaches?"
• BBC: "Coronavirus: How the world of work may change forever"
• Interpol.int: "INTERPOL report shows alarming rate of cyberattacks during COVID-19"
• Techxplore.com: "Ransomware surge imperils hospitals as pandemic intensifies"
• PR Newswire: "Top Cyber Security Experts Report: 4,000 Cyber Attacks a Day Since COVID-19 Pandemic"
• ZDNet: "COVID-19 pandemic delivers extraordinary array of cybersecurity challenges"
• Maritime Executive: "Maritime Cyberattacks Up by 400 Percent"

While the challenges have been vast, some of our industry peers note that technology has been a silver lining during this pandemic. Because businesses (much like ourselves) were forced to rapidly switch to online communications, WFH (work from home) technology was a saving grace. Interactions moved online without significant outages or business impacts for about 80 percent of the economy (excluding travel, hotels, restaurants, etc.). In a sense, cyberspace has stepped up to the challenges brought by COVID-19 in ways that did not (and could not) happen during the last major pandemic in 1918.

But the negative cybersecurity impacts of these online changes have led many experts to summarize the combined events of 2020 as a growing “cyber pandemic.” In this year-end perspective, global people, processes, and technology changes in moving to digital transactions have been a type of “Trojan horse” for cybercriminals.

In an excerpt from a CNBC article: "The UAE has seen an 'at least 250% increase' in cyberattacks this year,” Al Kuwaiti said. “As the pandemic forced organizations around the world to reconsider how and where they work, hackers and malicious actors took advantage of increased digital adoption.”¹

In summation, now is the best time to prepare your business’ defenses and fortify your security plan for 2021. If you’re unsure of where to start, what to expect, or how you could improve, RDI offers risk-free network security audits. Our audits are thorough and pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses. Let’s start the new year strong, secure, and together. 

Note 1 – CNBC Dec. 2020. Middle East Facing ‘Cyber Pandemic’ as Covid Exposes Security Vulnerabilities, Cyber Chief Says.