In a pandemic crisis of this scale, robust cybersecurity measures matter more than ever. While the Coronavirus pandemic is a health crisis for the world, and continues to disrupt global health, economic, political and social systems, the risingrisk of cyberattacks that prey on our increased reliance on digital tools has also become an equally dangerous threat in the cyberspace.

Digital communications have become the channel for effective human interaction and the primary way we work. Businesses and public-sector organizations have started to enforce “work from home” policies. Social interactions are rapidly becoming confined to video calls, social media posts and chat programs. In this unprecedented context, a cyberattack that could cut off access to one’s computer, data or the internet could be devastating and even deadly. We all should consider a threatening scenario: broad-based cyberattacks could cause widespread infrastructure failures that could take entire communities or cities offline, obstructing healthcare providers, public systems and networks.

While our immediate attention is to meet our daily basic human function needs (for instance, toilet paper) we are leaving ourselves susceptible and open for criminals of all types, including those who prey on the cyberspace. Cybercriminals are aware of this weakness, and are capitalizing on the topic of Coronavirus to tempt users into unsafe online behavior. Theyare extremely creative in devising new ways to exploit human weaknesses to penetrate and break through our defenses to find our passwords, accesses networks and capture data. As a result, we can make dangerous and costly mistakes.

Here are a few things we all should do:

1. Update all your passwords using a combination of letters, special characters and numbers.
2. Establish a complex passwords for your network password for your home wifi.
3. Make sure that system firewalls are active on your router. 
4. Ensure you’re not reusing passwords across the web. 
5. If you work at home, make sure to use a reliable VPN to connect to the Internet where ever possible. 
6. Be extra vigilant and verify – especially when installing new software. Make sure the URL from which you are downloading is legitimate. 
7. Keep up with the security updates for all your devices.

Paying close attention to our digital hygiene habits is just as important as washing our hands after every physical contact. Everyone’s online behavior is instrumental in preventing the spread of dangerous infections in the digital world.