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Views: Trump vs. the Coronavirus

Trump vs. the Coronavirus

The race for President is now set given that Bernie Sanders has suspended his campaign.  Technically, it’s Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden.  But in a very real sense, it’s Trump vs. the Coronavirus.

Every day, the President faces a leadership test. If, come November, Americans in battleground states (especially Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin) think that the President has managed the public health and economic crises well, he will be re-elected.  If not, then Vice President Biden will get his turn.

At the moment, there’s deep concern in Republican circles about the President’s public response.  That’s why you saw the Wall Street Journal editorial board and Senator Lindsey Graham caution the President to tone down his daily briefings, be less visible and allow the experts to speak.  Some believe what happens in the next 4-8 weeks will determine the sentiment of the electorate.

Make no mistake, there will be ads.  There will be (virtual) conventions.  There will (likely) be debates.  And the President and his allies will continue to try to make Biden look like he’s not up for the job.

But, at the end of the day, performance matters, no more so than when there is a crisis.

By the numbers (according the Real Clear Politics average)

Cyber Corner

Phishers Gonna Phish …
While no treatment yet exists for COVID-19, cybercriminals are now cynically capitalizing on the moment to turn this crisis into cold, hard cash.

New research released this week from Vrge client NormShield found a spike in the creation of web addresses including drug names like “Hydroxychloroquine,” a potential treatment boosted by the White House and other high-profile figures.  In the first three months of 2020, the NormShield team found 362 new possible phishing domains with references to or containing exact names of ten medicines with 61 percent containing either chloroquine or azithromycin.

The goal: trick consumers into giving up personal information by encouraging them to click on a link that downloads malware onto their computers.

You down with CPP?  Yeah, you know me.
American small businesses may be ready for a Cybersecurity Protection Program (CPP) from the federal government as they face the challenges of becoming remote businesses overnight. A new national survey of small business owners from The Cyber Readiness Institute found that 55%  believe that federal and state governments should provide products and funding for cybersecurity.  This comes at a time when 50% are concerned that they are more susceptible to cyber-attacks because of remote working, yet only 25% of businesses with fewer than 20 employees have a cybersecurity policy or plan.

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