# The Aftermath of COVID-19 Cybersecurity Crisis: Have The Attacks Benefitted the Industry More Than They Hurt It? Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-09-30 Category: TECHNOLOGY Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/technology Meta Title: Who's Really to Blame for Cybersecurity Failures Meta Description: Discover the truth behind the cybersecurity crisis during the pandemic. Who's really at fault for the cyber chaos? Find out now. URL: https://financedigest.com/the-aftermath-of-covid-19-cybersecurity-crisis-have-the-attacks-benefitted-the-industry-more-than-they-hurt-ithtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/syber-attack-sbi-300198849-1736837725237-compressed.jpg) _By_ **_Reef Pearson,_** [_SecureTeam_](https://secureteam.co.uk/) _News headlines during the COVID-19 crisis have been focused on frightening cybersecurity statistics, critiques of staff WFH, and panic-inducing discussions of the skills gap in the cybersecurity industry._ _Although there have been so many avoidable cyber disasters published in the press, there hasn’t been any discussion about the security companies that failed to protect the organisations that fell victim to the attacks._ _Rather than focusing on how cybersecurity firms have failed to provide the service they promised, the media has instead been stuck on fear-mongering businesses about cyber risks – subsequently being a catalyst for demand for cybersecurity services. So, does this imply that the [industry is currently](https://www.financedigest.com/fiber-optic-cables-market-2017-outlook-current-and-future-industry-landscape-analysis-2027.html "Fiber Optic Cables Market 2017 Outlook, Current and Future Industry Landscape Analysis 2027") booming because it’s failing?_ **_Who Was Really [Responsible for The Pandemic’s Cybersecurity](https://www.financedigest.com/forescout-and-fireeye-expand-partnership-enabling-faster-response-to-cybersecurity-threats.html "FORESCOUT AND FIREEYE EXPAND PARTNERSHIP, ENABLING FASTER RESPONSE TO CYBERSECURITY THREATS") Crisis?_** The worldwide shift to home-working quickly became a hot topic in the news and [remains a huge subject of debate because of its global](https://www.financedigest.com/global-food-makers-retailers-remain-in-crisis-mode.html "Global food makers, retailers remain in crisis mode") impact on lifestyle. The media didn’t shy away from raising huge red flags and [scary statistics](https://secureteam.co.uk/news/tools/rdp-based-attacks-increase-during-lockdown/) about employee cyber-attacks and attempts during the pandemic, with reportedly [47% of individuals](https://www2.deloitte.com/ch/en/pages/risk/articles/impact-covid-cybersecurity.html) working from home falling for phishing scams. Decreased consumer spending prompted credit card hackers to find more creative ways to [create income](https://www.financedigest.com/5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-creating-passive-income.html "5 Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Passive Income"), and the rapid switch to remote working caused a huge increase in technological vulnerability – undoubtedly, there was reason to panic. However, the media framed the majority of this ‘cyber chaos’ to be the fault of staff [working from home](https://www.financedigest.com/savile-row-designer-on-working-from-home-winter-attire.html "Savile Row Designer on Working From Home Winter Attire"), caused by ignorances and mistakes, when really they were the cybersecurity failures of their employers. A workforce should not have to be cybersecurity [experts for cyberattacks to be avoided](https://www.financedigest.com/selling-advice-five-expert-tips-on-how-to-avoid-gazundering-when-selling-your-home-to-save-you-money.html "Selling advice: Five expert tips on how to avoid gazundering when selling your home to save you money"). Instead, employers should be taking continuous [steps to protect their team](https://www.financedigest.com/improving-your-it-team-in-four-simple-steps.html "Improving your IT team in four simple steps"), whether that be with the recruitment of an external cybersecurity consultant or an in-house team. And all of these preventative measures should have been implemented long before the pandemic came into effect. Cybersecurity best [practices should be preventative](https://www.financedigest.com/preventing-poor-esg-practices-from-costing-you-investors.html "Preventing poor ESG practices from costing you investors") not reactive. Yet despite the click-bait reporting we’ve seen frequenting the news an Interpol [assessment](https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2020/INTERPOL-report-shows-alarming-rate-of-cyberattacks-during-COVID-19) exposed that the largest shift in attacks during the pandemic actually didn’t affect employees, and instead shifted towards targeting major corporations and government agencies rather than smaller businesses and individuals. For example, the World [Health Organization reported a 500% increase](https://www.financedigest.com/investment-in-mental-health-amongst-cybersecurity-professionals-set-to-increase-according-to-infosecurity-europe-poll.html "Investment in mental health amongst cybersecurity professionals set to increase according to Infosecurity Europe poll") in cyber attacks at the beginning of the pandemic. It is this influx in high-profile, large-scale attacks that is impossible to argue is the fault of any employees and provides evidence of cybersecurity failures occurring in even the largest of [public and private sector](https://www.financedigest.com/why-its-time-to-centralise-public-sector-technology.html "Why it’s time to centralise public sector technology") companies. Because of their high visibility and their crucial place in the economy’s infrastructure, the public and private sector companies that fell victim to [attacks and leaks during the pandemic should have already had world-class cybersecurity](https://www.financedigest.com/2018-it-security-predictions-methods-for-attacks-investment-areas-cybersecurity-strategies.html "2018 IT Security Predictions-Methods For Attacks, Investment Areas & Cybersecurity Strategies") measures in place – the pandemic just showed us how easy it was to bypass these systems. Though yet again, much to the rejoice of cybersecurity firms, the [media fixated on fearmongering other businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/why-social-media-should-be-your-business-top-priority-in-2018.html "Why Social Media Should be Your Business’ Top Priority in 2018.") rather than focusing on who was to blame for the failures. Meaning that the same cybersecurity [firms that failed to prevent these huge disasters were the ones employed to prevent other businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/pizza-firm-dp-eurasia-considers-divestment-of-russian-business.html "Pizza firm DP Eurasia considers divestment of Russian business") scared by the news. ## **How The Industry is Thriving as a Result of Failing** ‘Cybersecurity job’ searches are at an all-time high on Google, and the market is [facing a huge shortage](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-facing-tomatoes-shortage-after-overseas-harvests-disrupted.html "Britain facing tomatoes shortage after overseas harvests disrupted") of talent as a result of the rising demand accelerated by COVID-19. A recent [study](https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/92835-new-research-shows-us-cybersecurity-talent-shortage) revealed that there are 50% fewer candidates than jobs available in the cyber labour market, with 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs expected to go unfilled this year. The media’s coverage of the ‘COVID-19 [cybersecurity crisis’ basically acted](https://www.financedigest.com/privacy-vs-security-is-the-cybersecurity-information-sharing-act-beneficial.html "PRIVACY VS SECURITY: IS THE CYBERSECURITY INFORMATION SHARING ACT BENEFICIAL?") as free organic marketing for the industry, fuelled by fear and panic. Simply put, businesses reading about the terrifying consequences of bad [cybersecurity are pumping more money into services from the exact industry](https://www.financedigest.com/matching-digital-adoption-with-cybersecurity-in-the-financial-services-industry.html "Matching digital adoption with cybersecurity in the financial services industry") whose failures were the reason for their initial panic. Of course, it isn’t quite that simple, and it is unsurprising that an increase in [cyber attacks correlates with an increase in demand for cybersecurity experts](https://www.financedigest.com/james-trainor-top-fbi-cyber-expert-joins-aons-cyber-solutions-group.html "James Trainor, top FBI cyber expert, joins Aon’s Cyber Solutions Group"). However, it is the undiscussed cycled of this [process that makes the industry’s](https://www.financedigest.com/tightening-up-time-consuming-processes-in-the-financial-industry.html "Tightening up time consuming processes in the financial industry") inability to be held accountable for their failures so interesting. The negative press never seems to stick to the [cybersecurity firms](https://www.financedigest.com/fico-survey-nearly-one-third-of-uk-firms-dont-have-cybersecurity-insurance.html "FICO Survey: Nearly One-Third of UK Firms Don’t Have Cybersecurity Insurance") involved, just to the companies that fall victim. In these circumstances, the saying ‘all press is good press’ has never rung so true as the [cybersecurity industry](https://www.financedigest.com/why-the-industry-must-simplify-cybersecurity.html "WHY THE INDUSTRY MUST SIMPLIFY CYBERSECURITY") has catapulted its own growth by failing to protect its customers in the first place. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---