Cyber security firms say hackers have shifted their focus as more people work remotely. In Southlake, M3 Networks says it is getting more calls than ever.
"There are more devices in use now than ever, so there are more vulnerabilities you have to protect against than ever," says M3 Networks President Michael Moore.
Moore says part of the reason is more people logging into their company's computer system remotely.
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"The work we do has increased exponentially, and the amount of work you have to do to protect people's cyber security needs, especially creating a good cyber defense plan, has gone up dramatically," he says.
He says hackers had previously targeted large corporations, but they are now shifting that focus to smaller companies and individuals. He cites a "military-grade" spyware called "Pegasus" used to hack smartphones belonging to business leaders, politicians and human rights activists.
Previously, Moore says hackers targeted large companies because they could find a lot of personal information. Now that larger corporations have started plugging holes in security, he says it has become easier to identify many smaller targets.
He says smaller companies should consider an "IT assessment."
"That's like saying, 'I want to get in shape.' The first thing you need to do is get a coach," Moore says. "Get an assessment in that area, and take what they say seriously."
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He says smaller companies may not have employees go through seminars on how to protect information. In one case, he says a car dealership asked him to email his driver license number.
"I said, 'No, email is not a secure form of communication,'" Moore says. "Right then and there, the entire dealership sat down said, 'We have everybody email their driver license.' Those basic vulnerabilities need to be covered all the time."
Moore says individuals have become more attractive targets by hackers, not just because of the pandemic, but because people have so many devices at home connected to the internet.
"More and more people have kids at home using devices. More and more people have many other devices at home they wouldn't have had before," he says. "People have Alexa. People have TVs connected to the internet."
Moore says people can protect themselves by not giving out personal information, like the names of family members, on social networks or through email. He says hackers may attack a company's email system, set up a fake address and start asking employees to send driver license or bank account information.
Moore says hackers may also send emails or call people and say they have a problem with an account at a certain bank. He says hackers are relying on people to say they do not have an account at that bank and then tell them where they do have an account.
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