Local Companies, Stop Sharing Sensitive Info When You Announce Covid-19 Response Measures!

Over the past few days, we’ve bombarded you (our readers) with announcements from a number of local companies announcing that they would be shutting their doors and would, in turn, be available via their phones and on social media platforms.

Most of these companies have distributed these emails to a number of media houses have made one grave mistake – Giving out company emails to every Tom, Dick and Harry.

Whilst I understand the intention behind sharing these emails is to ensure that customers/clients can get in touch with you seamlessly during the lockdown there are unintended consequences you may have to deal with.

Ever heard of hackers?

Cybersecurity isn’t held in the highest regard locally but sharing emails belonging to company staffers publicly is a sure-fire way of being the victim of a phishing attack down the line.

If hackers get access to a company email they can pose as one of the company’s staffers and get access to confidential documentation and sensitive company and client information.

They could do this by outrightly asking for the details but more often than not the hacker who has infiltrated an organisation will just share a malicious link using the email people in your organisation trust and know and once your staff clicks on that link, malware is installed on their computer and hackers have access to a heap of information they shouldn’t have.

So what’s the alternative?

For many companies, the intention is to continue serving clients as efficiently as possible and if the reason why an organisation has to share employee details is to ensure that work goes on, then this is as clear as any opportunity you have to make sure your social media and online channels become best in class. That way you embrace new media and bolster your communications without endangering your organisation