A joint alert was recently released from the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

According to the alert, the CISA and NCSC are seeing an increase in the use of COVID-19-related attacks by cybercriminals. Additionally, the massive surge in remote working has increased the use of potentially vulnerable services that are amplifying the threat to individuals and organizations. Both agencies note cybercriminals are using the current pandemic for commercial gain and are deploying a variety of ransomware and other types of malware.

Some common threats include:

1.Phishing, using the subject of coronavirus or COVID-19 as a lure

2.Malware distribution, using coronavirus or COVID-19-themed lures

3.Registration of new domain names containing wording related to coronavirus or COVID-19

4.Attacks against newly—and often rapidly—deployed remote access and teleworking infrastructure.

As typical in these attacks, the criminals rely on basic social engineering methods to trick a user to carry out a specific action.

It’s more important than ever for individuals and organizations to remain vigilant and understand how they can secure their businesses and continue to remain vigilant