March 16,2020 – As the world braces for Covid-19, we here at Network Solutions, Inc. wanted to provide updates on our activities regarding the situation. Many non-essential jobs and activities are shutting down, but those essential to public health, safety, and even small business who can’t afford to take off for weeks are still up and running. We understand that those businesses rely on their computer systems for essential functions. Therefore, we are continuing to work to keep everyone up and running!
Hackers taking advantage: We’ve seen reports of hackers using “news updates” about the virus to establish control of computers. Similar to phishing attacks, they are sending out emails which seemingly have news articles or important information about the pandemic and the links and/or attachments in the emails contain malware allowing the hackers to gain control. For more information, please see these articles for examples:
Hackers taking advantage of COVID-19 to spread malware
Malicious coronavirus map hides AZORult info-stealing malware
Some things that are changing: We are working with many companies to enable their staff to better function using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) allowing people to access their work systems from home. We also offer phone systems which allow work from anywhere. We can get your service established very quickly and even utilize cell phones as extensions. Let us know if this is something your company needs. We feel that many people who make the transition to working from home may tend to remain there permanently, so this event may trigger a shift in the workforce.
The good news: On a lighter note, “social separation” is a life goal for many computer people, so some of us welcome our new Covid-19 reality. 🙂 Gas prices are going down. Traffic is improved. The environment is getting better in hard hit areas. China is already returning to normal. I finally got a really good excuse to use that virus icon. So, it is not all bad news. Keep calm and hang in there. We’ll be posting updates on this page as warranted.
Update: March 24 – As employees start to quarantine, either by choice or by law decree, they are having to have VPNs setup to be able to work from home. We understand that this is very important, but our resources don’t increase with this kind of crisis. If anything, they decrease because children are kept at home and families worry about exposure. We are working through our service calls, but please understand, that these things can’t be done with instant gratification. We must put you on the schedule and plan out the setup. This may take a few days from the time you call in until your issue is resolved.