With so much of the world transitioning to working, shopping, studying, and streaming online during the coronavirus pandemic, cybercriminals now have access to a larger base of potential victims than ever before.
“Zoombomb” became the new photobomb—hackers would gain access to a private meeting or online class hosted on Zoom and shout profanities and racial slurs or flash pornographic images. Nation-state hacker groups mounted attacks against organizations involved in the coronavirus pandemic response, including the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some in an attempt to politicize the pandemic.
Even garden-variety cyber attacks like email phishing, social engineering, and refund theft took on a darker flavor in response to the widespread economic precarity brought on by the pandemic.
“Hackers were mostly trying to take advantage of people’s fear by offering medical equipment like thermometers and masks for cheap, low-rate loan offers and fake government emails,” said Mark Adams, a cybersecurity analyst and subject matter expert for Springboard’s new Cyber Security Career Track. “You know, the kinds of emails that say you owe X amount in back taxes and you will be arrested if you do not respond to this email today!”
Here’s a closer look at some of the biggest cyberattacks of 2020. Read more »
