Tech Roundup Jun. 12, 2020 | Covid-19 opened the doors for cyberattacks in Brazil

You’re reading The Brazilian Report‘s weekly tech roundup, a digest of the most important news on technology and innovation in Brazil. This week’s topics: Brazilian companies under cyberattacks, mobility startups’ attempts to increase revenues, and XP brokerage’s new digital moves. 

Cyberattacks a growing concern for Brazilian companies

In a matter of a week, three major corporations have been targeted by hackers: Avon, recently incorporated by Brazilian cosmetic maker Natura, job-seeking website Catho, and carmaker Honda. This latest round of attacks shows just how much of a problem cyberattacks have become in Brazil, especially considering the new challenges posed by the “new normal,” such as ensuring security while employees are working from home. 

What happened? On June 9, Natura informed Avon that their systems had suffered a “cyber incident” which interrupted some systems and partially affected operations. This happened only weeks after vulnerabilities in Natura’s website exposed customers’ sensitive data. 

• Honda’s operations in 11 factories — including their Brazilian plant — were reportedly compromised by a ransomware attack, in which a malicious archive “kidnaps” the company’s system. The company’s Brazilian motorcycle factory has remained closed since the attack according to the press.
• Catho, on the other hand, identified a security breach on its database, but claimed that no sensitive information had been accessed. The company asked customers to redo their passwords and is working with a consultancy to increase the monitoring of its systems.

What’s Covid-19 got to do with it? After companies were forced to move to remote work overnight, they became exposed to new threats. “Most companies had to migrate from safe environments to remote working within days. It was all or nothing to keep the lights on. These migrations are not trivial and left the doors open...