In our previous post on the coronavirus remote work era, we discussed some technical and security factors that treasury needs to make sure they have covered as they send workers home. In this second post, we’ll talk about the challenges of continuing remote work, focusing on three areas: 1) backup plans, 2) extending the business continuity plan, and 3) capturing the gaps.
This series within The Treasury Update Podcast features results of the Global Crisis Monitor during the COVID-19 crisis. Together, we can monitor the situation and best support our treasury and finance community.
In what has been called a mass experiment in remote work, attempts to mitigate and slow the spread of coronavirus have led many companies to ask or allow their employees to work from home for the first time. Remote work, however, involves different considerations for different departments. Treasury’s considerations are complex, and neglecting proper setup can lead to problems.
We’ve seen plenty of bad news about fraud. Scams are coming faster, more of them are succeeding, and companies’ losses are mounting. Many organizations are under-protected and insufficiently prepared. The data and analysis showing these facts are well-documented. Fearmongering, however, isn’t our goal.
In the final quarter of 2018, the average payoff amount for retrieving files encrypted in ransomware attacks was holding steady around $10,000. Early in 2019, the number began to rise, and only six months later it had quadrupled at $40,000. In 2019’s final quarter, the average amount was $84,116, and as if to warn that this number wasn’t going to drop anytime soon, the month of December saw the average rise to an unprecedented and shocking $190,000.