Developers took steps to repair the vulnerability, but businesses that want to thrive in our altered digital environment will need to identify threats before their products reach the public. As other organizations have discovered, the COVID-19 pandemic can be an excellent time to demonstrate strength or expose yourself to issues that will erode your brand’s image long after the crisis abates.

Even before bad actors began exfiltrating data, ransomware attacks were uniquely costly and incredibly destructive. Today, companies can expect that a ransomware attack will double as a data breach, giving every organization millions of reasons to ensure that their networks are guarded against this especially problematic malware.

Healthcare services collect and store peoples’ most sensitive personal information, and they are a top target for cybercriminals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than reacting to a cybersecurity incident, companies should take a proactive stance to protect PII. The incredible rise in phishing scams targeting healthcare facilities during this time should make employee awareness training a top priority.

Organizations collecting and storing personal data can support their users during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking extra care to ensure that personal data remains private. It’s a priority that always matters, but that is especially amplified during the pandemic.

Phishing scams are a significant risk to every company’s data. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare companies have seen a precipitous increase in these attacks, as hackers look to capitalize on the urgency and unease of the situation to trick employees into compromising critical data.