Address bar flaw and big rise in spear-phishing shows why better defences are needed against Covid-19 cyber attacks
- Coronavirus-themed malicious emails and fraudulent websites are tapping new trends in online shopping and remote work
- The previously undiscovered flaw potentially allows attackers to host malicious websites imitating legitimate services
Cybercriminals increased their rates of spear-phishing attacks by 667 per cent this year due to Covid-19 and online dependency, according to IT security company Barracuda Networks.
Spear-phishing is a common online fraud whereby emails are sent from a known or trusted sender to induce targeted individuals to reveal confidential information.
Coronavirus-themed malicious emails and fraudulent websites are tapping new trends in online shopping, communication and remote work by taking advantage of what is top-of-mind for end users and their online search patterns.
Jonathan Sharrock, CEO at cybersecurity firm Cyber Citadel, has seen first-hand the increasing trouble experienced by organisations from spear-phishing attacks.
“Spear-phishing is sophisticated in a lot of cases,” said Sharrock. “The individual or organisation is well researched and the chance of success is often extremely high. Some of our simulated campaigns where we craft rather compelling phishing emails show that employees … will click on a link embedded in an email, if it looks convincing enough.”
