Not giving cybercrime a chance even in the crisis

In its special evaluation of cybercrime in the Corona crisis, the BKA found a significant increase in phishing campaigns and attacks on remote connections. Even without the pandemic, IT security experts could not complain about a lack of work. According to the BKA's Federal Situation Report 2019, the number of offenses known to the police has reached a new high.

Ransomware in particular, i.e. extortion software, can pose an existential threat to companies or institutions, because almost every company is now dependent on IT. IT security is therefore indispensable for the success of a company. If companies reduce their IT capacities at this point due to the crisis, it quickly becomes very dangerous. The already strong trend of increasing cyber attacks on companies - both in terms of the frequency, intensity and quality of the attacks - will be further intensified by the crisis.

Do not show weakness

Many companies have already taken steps to better protect their IT in recent years. However, most German companies are still not at the level they should be. These deficits become even more noticeable during the crisis, when companies also have to take completely new approaches in the short term.

One example of this is the home office. What was previously unthinkable in many industries is now often the only option for maintaining production. To ensure that this does not become a risk factor, companies need consistent monitoring of the technologies used for this purpose, processes that are closely interlinked with the IT security organization, and also appropriate sensitization of employees.

What should companies do now to counter the growing threat? Above all, it is important that they adapt quickly and professionally to the new framework conditions, because attackers exploit every available weakness. Particularly now, the knowledge of IT security and digitization experts who know the current standards and best practices should be called upon. If these are not available internally, then external help should be used.

The technical aspects of cyber attacks are diverse and overwhelmingly complex. That's why digital protection cannot be limited to the selection and configuration of technologies and services alone. It is about much more than tools and gadgets. What is needed is a rethinking of the entire corporate culture across all departmental boundaries. Because digital attacks can be carried out on virtually every area of a company, IT security must be guaranteed throughout the company.

Making the job of attackers difficult

If an information security management system has already been established, it must be reviewed and adjusted. If this is not the case, we recommend implementing a prioritized bottom-up approach to improve IT security in the short term. The focus here is on those applications and IT systems that process particularly sensitive information or are critical for maintaining production. The old principle applies: "Protect first and best what is most important."

In addition, offensive checks - so-called penetration tests - are also useful to identify possible weaknesses. The more robust the system becomes, the more difficult it is for the attacker and the more time the defense gains to render him harmless. The right data backup concept also helps against data loss. A regular data backup is one of the mandatory tasks. This is the only way to protect data from loss and damage.