BLUF
COVID-19 has resulted in a significant rise in cyber-attacks and, therefore, has increased the need to be even more vigilant in maintaining cyber-security.Summary
In just a four month period, INTERPOL and national police forces have detected 737 malware incidents and 48,000 malicious URLs related to COVID-19. Some of the most serious incidents were:
- SolarWinds: compromised monitoring platform , allowed trojanised updates to attack software users.
- FireEye: likely state-sponsored hackers stole the tools that simulate real attackers.
- Software AG: a cyber-criminal gang demanded a $23 million ransom using Clop Ransomware.
- Sopra Steria: attack by Ryuk Ransomware, previously unknown.
- Telegram Hijack Hackers: gained access to mobile networks across the world allowing access to data of high-profile cryptocurrency individuals.
- BlackBaud: data-stealing ransomware potentially affected nearly 200 organisations and millions of individuals.
What we can do to improve cyber-security::
- Make cyber security a high priority
- Ask contacts to take precautions
- Maintain authentication protocols
- Look for back doors/vulnerabilities, malware, social engineering, and excessive permissions
- Watch for insider threats
- Keep upto date with security awareness training
References
-
Feb 2021 Wired Collection of articles on cyberattacks and hacks
-
Mar 2021 Guardian Microsoft hack: Biden launches emergency taskforce to address cyber-attack
-
Mar 2021 9 News Australian corporations hit by massive Microsoft Server hack
