By Jessica Davis
– Europol released a report showing how hackers are profiting off of the COVID-19 pandemic, warning hackers are shifting attacks to remote workers and the healthcare sector. Meanwhile, researchers have discovered a rapid increase in registered phishing websites and DNS hijacking attacks.
According to the Europol report, cybercriminals are adapting their attack methods and engaging in new activities in response to the high demand for certain medical supplies related to the pandemic, the decreased mobility of individuals, the increase in telework, and the anxiety and fear that could increase the risk of exploitation to individuals.
Specifically, cybercriminals are using the Coronavirus to launch social engineering attacks, while targeting the increase in remote work. The threat surface has increased as a greater number of employees and vendors are remotely accessing enterprise networks.
For example, “the Czech Republic reported a cyberattack on Brno University Hospital which forced the hospital to shut down its entire IT network, postpone urgent surgical…
