Covid-19 is causing myriad challenges for businesses, with remote working, diverted priorities and a general scramble to maintain business-as-usual operations. This is unprecedented in UK industry, and presents a range of challenges and opportunities. In particular, hackers now have more time on their nefarious hands and a whole host of new targets in front of them, in the form of a large number of working-from-home employees.

Many organisations are acting to prevent the spread of Coronavirus by allowing their employees to work from home. In order to be able to do so comfortably, and without introducing a component of risk, businesses should follow certain best practices that can guarantee their digital assets are just as secure with a remote workforce as they would be in-house. Unfortunately, cybercriminals have already started to take advantage of this pandemic.

The past sixteen years have witnessed a staggering growth in the cybersecurity industry. With a global market worth of $3.5 billion in 2004, this figure mushroomed to $120 billion in 2017. It is now predicted to surpass $1 trillion by 2021. Alongside this growth is the upsurge of demand for cybersecurity talent, of which there is a severe shortage with an expected 3.5 million unfilled positions in a year’s time.