The Coronavirus crisis, or COVID-19, creates an exceptionally favourable situation for cyberattacks or cybercrime. Hackers can afford to compromise thousands of devices and IT systems due to several factors arising from the current situation of lockdown and the shutdown of activity:

1. The overload, in terms of data and activity, on the IT systems of public administrations and healthcare organisations: ERTE processing offices and hospitals with thousands of patients daily are an easy target for cybercriminals.
2. The shift to remote work by thousands of companies and employees whose work routines are far removed from working from home. The vulnerability of security measures, and lack of awareness of them, combined with the use of non-corporate IT systems, means that company and personal data may be exposed to an attack. The attack may be random or organised. The objective may focus on damaging the online reputation or privacy of a brand or company.
3. Another interesting factor to analyse is the exposure of famous people or celebrities to a potential digital attack they may suffer as a result of statements or actions that may cause offence and generate “hate” towards them. Overexposing their lifestyle during lockdown may lead to a targeted attack that results in device compromise, reputation issues, identity theft, and may even lead to financial theft.
4. The increase in online shopping has been considerable during lockdown, due to the inability to purchase certain products in any other way. The use of credit cards across different platforms has surged, and with it, the increase in available data for cybercriminals to take action.

This new situation also encourages other types of random cyberattacks, aimed at deceiving users through messages that may appear real and trustworthy. Nothing could be further from the truth. These are deceptive messages that put us at risk of “malware”, “phishing”, “ransomware”, scams, financial theft, password theft, identity theft, social media profile hijacking, and countless cybercrimes that anyone can fall victim to if the appropriate precautions are not taken.

During these days, the Police, Guardia Civil and Mossos have issued warnings via Twitter:

These situations, combined with the vulnerability of IT systems, lack of security, and lack of awareness of defensive actions and legal reporting methods, make the new paradigm a perfect breeding ground for cyberattacks, targeting companies, individuals, official bodies, and celebrities.

If you have suffered an attack on the security of your devices or passwords, or you know someone who is having problems, contact us.
At onBRANDING, we are experts in cyber investigation, digital identity, online reputation, privacy, and cybersecurity.