It was to be Expected: Cybercrime on the Rise
We knew that any type of newsworthy topic was going to give cybercriminals so much opportunity – and COVID-19 gave them so much bang for the buck. Just because this was something affecting the world in a detrimental way would never be reason enough for hackers to take a break. They were going to take full advantage of the situation regardless of how much worse it could make things for people during their time of need or vulnerability.
When talking about cybercriminals sending malicious emails, COVID-19 has undoubtedly been a hot topic, with links that falsely promise virus information, testing sites, fake supplies, and more. Using their well-established phishing tactics, scammers have been busy creating spear-phishing emails to trick their victims and deploy malware.
The Data
The cybersecurity company Cynet released a report from details gathered since the beginning of the pandemic. It states that 35% of attacks this year were of a new format – as compared with 20% in years prior. This means that there probably weren’t methods in place to detect these attacks as they were unheard of.
With the onslaught of cybercrime, came the increase in the need for cybersecurity staff. There was a noted 250% increase in engagements with clients in need of expert assistance.
This doesn’t mean that today we are better prepared. Yes, there might be more of an awareness. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that the targeted businesses are informed and aware of recognizing malicious links in the first place. Ongoing training is critical – we can’t emphasize that enough.
The risk is rising and the burden is increasing. Are your clients matching these increases with their own rise in awareness to offset the chance of becoming another statistic? Are they upping their game when it comes to training? It is up to you to make sure that they realize the importance of having the right tools for the job.