How COVID-19 and Remote Working Increased Risks of Cyberattacks on Australian Businesses

Abrupt and unexpected are two of the adjectives most commonly used when describing the shift to working remotely that the global workforce has faced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. No sector has been spared, including government operations, private businesses, and institutions of education. This seismic shift not only impacted the millions of people who found themselves working from home for the first time in Australia and around the globe, but it also stressed the complex technology infrastructures that were unexpectedly required to support massive amounts of traffic. Businesses and leaders in technology have met the challenges posed by the recent work at home reality head on. Unfortunately, intertwined with the positive work being done to make working from home possible, there are hackers and bad actors who have seen this sudden change as an opportunity to exploit potential weaknesses in the technological infrastructure backing the newly decentralized workforce. In their haste to get employees back to work and provide their products and services to customers, some enterprises have been blinded to the increasing security risks that having employees work from home present.