“The world can be very cruel.” Those six words spoken by Virgil van Dijk ring hauntingly true during far too many of mankind’s most troublesome moments. As of February 7th, 2020, the rapid spread of the coronavirus has led to the deaths of over 600 people nationwide, while infecting 31,000 more. And while much of the world is rallying in support of those affected, others are taking advantage of the concern attached to the situation by exploiting fear for personal gain.
Cybercriminals apparently saw opportunity within the coronavirus, and have moved quickly to capitalize on it. Here’s everything you need to know about how hackers are exploiting humanity and benefiting from the coronavirus.
Malicious FIles are Being Disguised as Legitimate Documents
When people are in a state of concern, both mentally and emotionally, they become much more likely to make impulsive decisions. In this case, hackers are taking advantage of this simple truth by disguising malware in emails with subject lines such as, “Urgent New Update Regarding the Coronavirus.” Being that the emails are typically coming from unfamiliar addresses, they could usually be identified quickly and easily as spam, but the uncertainty and fear attached to the disease is making it more and more likely for people to fall victim to these attacks.
These misleading emails tend to include attachments of files that, when downloaded, are inflicting some variation of malware on systems. According to Computer Weekly, these files contain, “various threats including Trojans and worms capable of destroying, blocking, modifying or copying and exfiltrating personal data.” Needless to say, the results of these attacks can be devastating, and are coming at a time when people are most vulnerable.
Who Are These Campaigns Impersonating?
In order for these mischievous campaigns to achieve any success, they need to convincingly pose as a legitimate organization or entity. According to this message from Washington State University, one phishing campaign, “reportedly impersonates the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” But this isn’t the only organization hackers have impersonated. Emails have come through from, “Singapore Health Specialists,” according to Infosecurity. The risk can be even greater in certain Asian countries, where cybersecurity practices aren’t as well established, and the percentage of infected systems tend to be the highest.
What Can You do to Prevent These Attacks?
This question is the most important one to ask regarding the prevention of these coronavirus-inspired cyber attacks. Many of the signs of these attacks are similar to the signs of classic malware and phishing email attacks. You can read about how to identify those signs in a blog we wrote here.
What differentiates these coronavirus attacks from regular attacks, though, is the relevance of the issue. Be sure to take the time to review the email address, ensure the message mentions you personally, and reach out to friends and family to confirm the validity of the message. Also, as always, never click on a link or attachment until you’re absolutely sure of its legitimacy.
It’s an unfortunate reality in our world that certain people find opportunity in the misfortune of others. While these criminals account only for a fractional minority of human beings, and our planet is filled with kind, caring, and thoughtful people, it’s still essential that we’re all prepared for the worst. Watch for the warning signs of phishing, and use this blog as a reference point for any suspicious emails you might receive regarding the Coronavirus.
Categorised in: Computer Support, malware, Password, ransomware