Cybercrime during COVID-19 pandemic
Cyberthreats are constantly evolving in order to take advantage of online behaviour and trends. The COVID-19 outbreak is no exception. Cybercriminals are attacking the computer networks and systems of individuals, businesses and even global organizations at a time when cyber defences might be lowered due to the shift of focus to the health crisis.
An INTERPOL assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on cybercrime has shown a significant target shift from individuals and small businesses to major corporations, governments and critical infrastructure.
With organizations and businesses rapidly deploying remote systems and networks to support staff working from home, criminals are also taking advantage of increased security vulnerabilities to steal data, generate profits and cause disruption.
In one four-month period (January to April) some 907,000 spam messages, 737 incidents related to malware and 48,000 malicious URLs – all related to COVID-19 – were detected by one of INTERPOL’s private sector partners.
“Cybercriminals are developing and boosting their attacks at an alarming pace, exploiting the fear and uncertainty caused by the unstable social and economic situation created by COVID-19.”
JĂĽrgen Stock, INTERPOL Secretary General
The increased online dependency for people around the world, is also creating new opportunities, with many businesses and individuals not ensuring their cyber defences are up to date.
Countries all across the globe are reporting an increase in cybercrime during the pandemic. For instance, in Italy, the Polizia Postale, which is the law enforcement branch in charge of the cybercrimes, reported several kinds of scams and frauds that came in the form of ads, emails, fake websites, but also through phone calls and messages. Cybercriminals are capitalizing on the anxieties and fears triggered by the pandemic, using malware, such as viruses, worms, trojan horses, ransomware and spyware, to invade, damage, steal or cancel personal data on personal computers. Stolen data can then be used for different malicious purposes, including accessing bank accounts and blackmailing the victims in exchange of ransoms. A “Corona anti-virus” software has also been flagged to the Italian law enforcement authorities. The application, BlackNet Rat, promises to protect the user’s device from coronavirus, but instead, it breaches the computer’s security and takes control of the computer, effectively enabling the criminal to remotely control it.
A sharp surge of fake or inappropriate drugs and medical equipment sold at a very high price to allegedly cure the Coronavirus was recorded on an increasing number of websites well-designed by criminals. In connection to this, an increase in the trafficking of counterfeited products sponsored through emails and website, including hygiene items and facial masks, was recorded. Also, the Italian Police reported that in some cases legitimate crowd-funding campaigns to collect money in support of health institutions, under huge pressure during the past weeks, were deviated to alternative criminal pockets through fake websites.
Although the risk of being attacked will remain, some mitigation measures may help users and employers. For the users, it is recommended to be very vigilant about phishing emails and websites, practice good cyber hygiene, use only trusted wi-fi networks and consider adopting a password manager to help to avoid using the same password for multiple websites. It is also important to use double channels of communications with counterparts before transferring sensitive data or downloading a file from an email that may contain malware. Sending an SMS, a WhatsApp message or making a quick call to make sure that the sender is a colleague or friend can prevent a cyber-attack. Rather than immediately clicking links in emails, it is advisable to look for information from trusted websites. Regarding the collective conference calls, which are being used more frequently, it is important to be mindful of sharing screens or sending screenshots that may contain sensitive information. Employers can, among other things, make sure a secure remote access to the organization’s files is set up, provide the right security capabilities and ask employees to avoid working with their personal computers. Finally, it is recommendable that they provide employees with appropriate courses to enhance their cyber-security knowledge.
Posted by: 0197409134 Ramazonov Masrur for the final project of the course Global Governance and International Organizations