Written by Coming Soon
For most people chronic mental pressure is an acknowledged performance inhibitor. With respect to cyber security, this is all to the favour of threat actors, because stressed-out CISOs do not lead well and/or do their jobs as effectively as possible – they become more liable to operational slipups and defective leadership.
A stressed IT security work team is unable to watch-out for one of its number who may show signs of inattention. Oversight suffers, and mistakes are made in cyber defence administration that hackers could exploit. Daily concerns related directly or indirectly to Coronavirus compound an already barely tolerable situation. Coronavirus has, of course, caused disruption across many occupations and disciplines, but has held acute resonances for the cyber security profession. Recent increases in opportunistic Coronavirus-related attacks has not meant any lessening of ‘threats-as-usual’ offensive activity.
The pandemic – and the concerns it gives rise to – create perfect conditions for cyber criminals to step-up their activities. Employees are likely more susceptible to phishing and malware attacks in a climate riddled by Coronavirus concern; and a requirement to work remotely might introduce a delay in human response to hack attacks and other intrusions into an organisation’s IT systems.
Then there is also an insider threat dimension to the situation. Employees who, for any reason, take exception to being furloughed, might become more minded to misappropriate workplace data assets. Subsequent employee redundancies would heighten this risk.
