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Google and KPMG online security observers share their insights for securing accounts and access, even while operating from remote locations.
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Hackers and other cybercriminals tend to look at crises as opportunities, and COVID-19 has proven to be the mother of all crises as not only are systems
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Cyber scams based on COVID-19 have become prevalent in recent months, as hackers look to capitalize on the virus-driven uncertainty affecting individuals, enterprises .
COVID-19 has created previously unthinkable consequences for our society. Organised crime has been quick to respond, mounting large scale orchestrated campaigns to defraud banking customers, preying on fear and anxiety related to COVID-19. Further, as governments prepare stimulus packages in response to the pandemic and begin providing fiscal support to their citizens, the risk of being defrauded by COVID-19 related scams will likely continue to rise. For the financial sector in particular there are great challenges. The industry has already begun to provide an unprecedented response, but are having to work through their own business continuity issues.
The past two months have seen the largest ever migration of individuals to digital platforms and tools in order to stay connected, for both productivity and personal purposes. Millions turned to virtual tools such as videoconferencing apps, many utilizing them for the first time. At the same time, building closures and the rapid shift towards remote working policies left many enterprises and governmental organizations scrambling to ensure adequate measures had been taken to shield confidential data, private servers, and other exposed systems.
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“Our systems have also spotted malware-laden sites that pose as sign-in pages for popular social media accounts, health organizations, and even official coronavirus maps".
~ Mark Risher, Senior Director for Account Security .
In an era of social distancing, it is fortunate that technology has evolved to a point that many services can be rendered completely online. Yet with each new helpful technological advancement, comes the possibility of introducing new online security risks. Hackers and other cybercriminals tend to look at crises as opportunities, and COVID-19 has proven to be the mother of all crises as not only are systems vulnerable due to quickly changing world circumstances, but everyone is constantly looking to digital means to keep them connected.
“Such prolific fraud attempts out there, realization of what forms these COVID-19 scams take – and how they should be best handled – should be of urgent importance for both the organizations and the people who work for them.
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Fraudsters posing as members of domestic and international health authorities, such as the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organisation (WHO), targeting victims with emails including malicious attachments, links, or redirects to “updates” regarding the spread of COVID-19, new containment measures, maps of the outbreak or ways to protect yourself from exposure. Our systems have also spotted malware-laden sites that pose as sign-in pages for popular social media accounts, health organizations, and even official coronavirus maps.During the past couple of weeks, our advanced, machine-learning classifiers have seen 18 million daily malware and phishing attempts related to COVID-19, in addition to more than 240 million COVID-related spam messages.
Right now, everyone is heavily reliant on their laptops or mobile phones to conduct their everyday needs such as online banking, shopping or donating to causes and charities. Criminals are not afraid to take advantage of that,” warned Tan Kim Chuan, Head of Forensic at KPMG in Malaysia.
Mark Risher, Senior Director for Account Security, Identity, and Abuse at Google, says Google’s team of cybersecurity experts have encountered coronavirus-related cyber scams aimed at individuals, companies, and government administrations. Our Threat Analysis Group continually monitors for sophisticated, government-backed hacking activity and is seeing new COVID-19 messaging used in attacks, and our security systems have detected a range of new scams such as phishing emails posing as messages from charities and NGOs battling COVID-19, directions from “administrators” to employees working from home, and even notices spoofing healthcare providers.
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