Cybersecurity Experts Come To Rescue As Coronavirus-Related Hacking Amplifies

Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in lockdown in many districts, if not entire countries. However, hackers and people with malicious intent are using the pandemic as a reason to spread malware or hack into personal accounts. An international group of 400 cybersecurity experts has volunteered to help fight this crime.

Coronavirus: Means To Hack

There have been multiple reports revealing how hackers are using the coronavirus as a means to gain access to systems. In one instance, the coronavirus dashboard and maps were used as a means to send malware.

There's more; instances in Japan and other East-Asian countries were reported where hackers sent emails with information regarding the coronavirus. But in truth, it contained malware and other deadly viruses to infect systems of unsuspecting individuals.

Cybersecurity Experts Join Hands

To fight the mounting crime, nearly 400 volunteers have joined hands to form the COVID-19 CTI League, where CTI here refers to the cyber threat intelligence. The experts come from more than 40 countries and include professionals in senior positions from large companies like Microsoft and Amazon notes a report by Reuters. The collaboration is one-of-a-kind where citizens of various nationalities have come together.

Marc Rogers, one of the four initial managers and head of security at Def Con and a vice president at security company Okta, said that the top priority would be to combat hacks against medical facilities and other frontline responders to the pandemic. The effort is already working on hacks of health organizations. The defense of communication networks and services is another essential area to protect.

How Are They Fighting Hacks, Malware

"I've never seen this volume of phishing. I am literally seeing phishing messages in every language known to man," Rogers said to Reuters. The team of experts is using its web of contacts in the internet infrastructure providers to terminate such phishing attacks.

Phishing messages try to induce recipients to enter passwords or other sensitive information on websites controlled by the attackers, who then use the data to take control of bank, email or other accounts. They are also working on fighting financial crime that uses COVID-19 as a means.