The number of cybersecurity attacks is steadily rising. During the summer of 2020, we have seen a high number of successful cybersecurity attacks towards companies across the world. These range from international corporations like Garmin, universities like NHH in Bergen, Norway and Aalborg University in Denmark to Schibsted, Norway's largest media corporation. Ransomware viruses are being heavily used for monetary fraud, and those affected pays willingly to keep their companies operational.
Companies are not the only ones targeted by cybercriminals. Individuals have also been subjected to cybersecurity attacks, including fraud, identity theft and phishing. As online transactions increased during the pandemic, so did cyber attacks.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is the cornerstone in protecting user accounts from being hijacked by cybercriminals. Every month, this simple method protects Odfjell from numerous attempts to steal and misuse employees' login credentials.
MFA is based on the need to have two or more pieces of evidence (factors) to get access to the account. For Odfjell, this means a password and a physical device having the Microsoft Authenticator app installed. Even if someone is able to get access to your username and password, access will be prohibited.
We strongly advise the usage of MFA for all your personal accounts, from online banking to social media. Think of it as a security alarm at your house: the burglar will most likely select a different house to minimize the effort and risk of being detected and stopped.
Contact your bank or check their website for instructions on how to set up multi-factor authentication for your online accounts and mobile banking applications. For social media, here's a roundup of the commonly-used platforms that offer multi-factor authentication, with instructions on how to find the MFA setup via mobile phones:
Facebook (Android and iOS)
Instagram (Android and iOS)
Android
iOS
Twitter (Android and iOS)
For those who have Odfjell email accounts or have access to any Odfjell systems, make sure to report any fraudulent log-in attempts to IT. Please report anything you find suspicious as well, even if it is not confirmed as a security incident yet. IT can be reached at itsecurity@odfjell.com.
It is better to report one too many than one too few!
And finally, always remember that when something strange happens or you get an unusual inquiry:
STOP - LOOK - THINK
