Kathy Gibson reports – As the world enters the second year living with the threat of Covid-19, the nature of cyberthreats is subtly adapting.
Amy Hogan-Burney, GM: digital crimes unit at Microsoft, believes we will see a lot of social engineering activity around the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines.
“So you will see first phishing lures and domains that will trade on trusted brands as well as on fears and the geo-political climate relating to vaccine distribution and availability,” she says.
“I would say anything about those subjects that comes into your inbox, you should not click on that.
“And we are going to see a big uptick in these subjects.”
Travel restrictions are also going to be a big issue, with anything that capitalises on people’s freedom of movement expected to be a popular topic for cybercriminals, she says.
In addition, cybercriminals will look for ways to intercept invoices, stop transactions and other activities like that.
“We are seeing that in the real estate space,” Hogan-Burney says. “So make sure that any wire transfers you make are well verified before you make them.
“Just about anything that is not in the ordinary course of business for folks at home is where cybercriminals will target.”
Craig Jones, cybercrime director at Interpol, adds that as the world deglobalises as a result of Covid-19, cybercriminals are actually becoming more globalised, and working together to make cybercrime more efficient.
One issue that is becoming huge is the threat posed by counterfeit vaccines and certificates.
“Interpol has in fact already encountered large numbers of counterfeit vaccines in a country in Africa, together with paperwork that looks legitimate.”
It’s important to ensure that vaccine buyers don’t get duped into buying fake doses, he says. And, since not all the sources can be policed, buyers need to be aware of exactly what legitimate products and certificates look like.
“We also have to be cognisant of the gap between the haves and have-nots,” Jones says. “Those who don’t have access to the vaccine will want to get hold of it, and we will see cybercriminals moving into that area because they will see an opportunity.”
Government relief funds are another target for cybercriminals. “These are often set up quickly without all the safeguards, so they are seen as opportunities for scamsters,” Jones points out.