Cybersecurity Threats Rise From Work-at-Home Trend, HTSA Session Told

desktop protocol attacks soared from just over one per day worldwide in January 2020 to eight attacks per second in September, Meder said Monday. IoT malware detections grew over 66% last year globally and 152% in North America, said Meder. Cryptojacking is at a three-year high, up over 300% from 2019, he said. A widely publicized $50 million ransomware attack on Acer last month was the largest known to date, he said. The 66% increase in IoT malware is due largely to the proliferating entry points in smart homes, said Meder, citing a “major increase in hits on light bulbs” from different brands. Cryptocurrency is a particularly attractive target due to its value, he said. Bad actors are “going in and taking over anything that has processing power to attempt to mine bitcoin,” such as smart thermostats, lights, locks, controllers and TVs, since "everything is connected these days.” On how to deal with the threats, Meder said integrators have to consider what edge protection devices their clients need to secure their networks and smart devices -- and their hosted email. HTSA integrators need to move their businesses and customers away from routers with consumer-grade security to enterprise-grade with a next-generation firewall. He also suggested installing a VPN that’s locked down tight and protecting cloud services with phishing detection. The need for custom integrators to shore up cyber liability insurance is growing as “illicit cyberactivity continues to proliferate on a global scale,” said Tom Doherty, HTSA director-new technology initiatives. Global losses due to cybercrime will exceed $6 trillion this year, said Doherty, citing Cybersecurity Ventures data. Small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) are particularly vulnerable, he said, citing National Cyber Security Alliance data that shows over 70% of all cyberattacks target small businesses. SMBs that store any records online “need dedicated cyber liability protection,” he said.