Why is information security awareness important now in the post-COVID-19 world? Let’s find out.
Information Security Awareness Is Important Now More Than Ever
Today, it’s important to respond to COVID-19-themed information security threats. But, you can’t respond to something you don’t recognize, right?
That’s exactly why information security awareness is the first step to staying secure. Now, it’s more important than ever before.
COVID-19 pandemic is changing our lives. When it comes to our health, people are concerned. And with that concern comes a desire for updated information about news.
We tune in for information about the latest number of COVID-19 cases in our area. We also want to keep up with the latest updates on when the vaccine is available to us.
But, organized cybercriminals are exploiting fear due to that need. So, COVID-19-themed security threats are prevalent now.
COVID-19 and the Latest Information Security Attacks
Healthcare in attackers’ sights
During the pandemic, the healthcare sector was weighed down by the unprecedented number of COVID-19 cases. At the same time, cybercriminals tried to attack hospitals and even doctors.
For example, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ servers experienced a destructive DDoS attack in March 2020. A cyberattack also affected databases of one of the largest centers for COVID-19 blood testing n the Czech Republic in the same month.
Unfortunately, it caused a delay in hospital operations. For one, doctors couldn’t process coronavirus tests. They even had to cancel a number of surgical operations.
Fake correspondence from clients and government departments
Cybercriminals also tried to capitalize on the fear of the virus and people’s need for help. For example, scammers sent fake e-mails pretending to be from a health agency.
They would lure victims to fill out a summary of recent cases. Then, users would click a link and enter their e-mail login and password. That’s why many account details ended up in the hands of criminals.
Fake COVID-19 payments
Reports also said that scammers sent malicious emails about financial benefits. And if we compare the data to the previous year, the number of scams multiplied to five.
Fraudsters pretend to be from government departments, the International Monetary Fund, and even the World Health Organization.
They also took advantage of Facebook’s grants to small business owners. Victims were asked to apply for the grant by giving their private information. Aside from passwords, they even asked for their Social Security number and a photo of an ID document.
Information Security Awareness Is Important to Protect Yourself
Cybercriminals didn’t invest in new attack schemes. In fact, these information security threats have been there. But, the number of attacks increased by riding the COVID-19 news.
Still, you can avoid being a victim. How? By information security awareness.
For companies, they should regularly have training for employees. Now that most work from home, they should also know even the basic etiquettes of InfoSec. So, they can protect themselves.
Finally, here are a few universal tips you can follow:
- Don’t click links from strangers.
- Be wary of downloading files from emails you’re not sure about or from explicit websites.
- Use corporate devices if possible.
- Ask your employer to install reliable protection on company devices.
