FORT MYERS, Fla. — Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the Coronavirus crisis.
With many people working from home, hackers are working overtime to hijack networks.
"A cyber-attack is when somebody uses cyber means to gain access to a system that they normally wouldn't have access to," said Evan Lutz, a Network Security Engineer with Cigent Technology.
"This is something to be careful about because when somebody has access to your machine, they can either take data from your machine that they shouldn't have, or they can encrypt your data so that you wouldn't get it back unless you pay a ransom."
One of the most common cyber attacks comes in your email, and It often looks like it's from someone you know.
"There's usually some urgency about opening a document, and it'll be a PDF, Word Document, or PowerPoint, and these things will have code that runs in the background that you don't see that is infecting your computer without you knowing about it," said Lutz.
Lutz says networks are safer at work because there is more safety technology in place, so it's important to stay vigilant on what you're clicking and downloading.
"When you have a major cyberattack that happens in enterprise, it can bring them to a complete and total stop until the situation is addressed," said Lutz
Lutz says it's essential to make sure you have proper anti-virus protection.
Some of the emails Cigent Technology has seen are "click here for a cure, COVID-19 tax refund, and little measures that can save you."
"We've seen a spike a malicious activity against our own network here since the first of the year and again when the pandemic started," said Lutz.
Cigent Technology is one of dozens of companies that offer software to protect your computer and your connection.
To help people stay protected during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cigent is offering their software free for six-months.
To learn more about Cigent Technology, click here.
