Hackers Pounce as Coronavirus Spread Triggers Work-at-Home Movement

As businesses increasingly—and in rapid fashion—urge their employees to stay at home to work amid the coronavirus pandemic, another risk to companies is emerging. Cybersecurity experts warn that cybercriminals are moving in to target people not used to working from home and companies without work-at-home policies or cyber-safety nets.

“When you have a situation like we’re in now, creating a lot of questions and confusion—and in this case triggering changes in work habits and the way we use technology, hackers are going to find a way to try to exploit the situation, and that’s what’s happening,” said Aaron Pritz, co-founder and CEO of RevealRisk, a Carmel-based firm specializing in cybersecurity. “We’re not saying you should keep coming to the office because of cybersecurity risks. We’re just saying if you make a transition, you have to do your diligence.”

Tech companies including Facebook, Amazon, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Google have asked at least some of their employees to work from home amid the outbreak. San Francisco-based Salesforce, which has a major presence in Indianapolis, has asked its California employees to work remotely through March.

Eli Lilly and Co. this week asked all those employees who could do so to work from home for an indefinite period. And many schools too are moving to a remote educational system.

The trend is likely to become more pronounced locally and nationally in the coming weeks.