OCU C)SP D Week 02 Lesson 05 Discussion

In 2020, major security concerns included ransomware attacks, phishing scams, and data breaches, especially as many people stated working from home due to the pandemic. Cybercriminals took advantage of weak home networks and unpatched systems. Phishing emails pretending to be from health organizations also became common, tricking users into giving away their personal information or installing malware. Companies responded by improving cyber awareness training, requiring multi factor authentication and using VPNs to secure remote connections. Many organizations also increased their investments in cloud security endpoint protection tools to monitor and defend devices outside the office. another key response was better incident response training, ensuring quick recovery if an attacked occurred. These actions helped businesses adapt to the growing cyber threats and protect sensitive data while maintaining productivity in remote work environments. Overall, 2020 was a year that highlighted how essential cybersecurity is for every organization.

In 2020, the biggest security concern arose from the sudden shift to remote work that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. When offices closed, employees began working from home using personal computers and Wi-Fi networks that were not always secure. This made it easier for hackers to attack by sending fake emails, using weak passwords, and spreading false COVID-19 information. Cybercriminals also used ransomware to lock company files and demand money, which caused problems for people’s jobs and livelihoods.

Companies and organizations responded by adding stronger security measures, such as VPNs for safe connections and two-factor authentication to protect logins. They trained employees to recognize phishing scams and encouraged regular software updates. Many organizations also started backing up critical data and improving cloud security settings.

Even first responders and healthcare workers had to deal with these risks while focusing on saving lives. Overall, 2020 taught everyone that cybersecurity is essential, especially when people work remotely and rely heavily on online systems.

In 2020, the sudden move to working from home widened attack surfaces and gave criminals easy targets. Weak home Wi-Fi, reused passwords, and unpatched personal devices opened the door to ransomware and phishing. To keep operations running, many companies strengthened logins with multi-factor authentication, tightened least-privilege access, and pushed VPN and mobile/endpoint management out to laptops and phones. Teams also reviewed cloud configurations, turned on continuous monitoring, and began using zero-trust ideas that verify each connection, not just the first one. To limit damage if a breach occurred, organizations improved backup and restore routines and ran tabletop exercises to sharpen response. Taken together, these steps helped stabilize remote work while cutting the most active risks of the year.

Back in 2020, some of the biggest security concerns were data breaches, phishing attacks, and ransomware. The shift to remote work made things harder because many people started accessing company networks from home on unsecured devices. Hackers quickly took advantage of weak points in systems not designed for remote access. Today, those issues still exist, but new threats like AI-driven attacks, deepfakes, and supply chain vulnerabilities are growing fast. Companies are responding by investing in cybersecurity awareness training, multi-factor authentication, and cloud security. They are also using artificial intelligence for faster threat detection and response. Overall, the focus has shifted from reacting to attacks to building stronger and proactive defenses. Security is no longer just an IT issue; it is something every employee and organization must take seriously.

In 2020, many new security problems appeared as more people began working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. One big issue was ransomware, where hackers locked up company data and demanded money to unlock it. Phishing was also a big problem, hackers sent fake emails to trick people into giving away passwords or clicking harmful links. Another concern was cloud security, since many companies quickly switched to online systems and didn’t always set them up safely. The SolarWinds attack showed how hackers could break in through software used by many organizations, proving that even trusted vendors could be risky.

To deal with these problems, companies started spending more money on cybersecurity and hired more experts to protect their systems. They began using multi-factor authentication and Zero Trust models, which require people to prove who they are every time they log in. Many also added better tools to find and stop attacks faster and trained employees on how to spot fake emails. Companies improved their patching systems to fix weaknesses quickly and followed new rules about data privacy and breach reporting. Overall, 2020 pushed businesses to take security more seriously and build stronger protections against future cyberattacks.