Security News > 2021 > March > More than 16 million COVID-themed cyberattacks launched in 2020
COVID-19 dominated everyone's lives throughout 2020 but a new report from cybersecurity company Trend Micro found that the pandemic was also the main theme of nearly 16.5 million threats and attacks launched against its customers.
The report found that most of the COVID-19-themed attacks came from the countries hit hardest by the pandemic, with nearly 40% of the threats coming from the United States.
"Malicious actors have learned that Social Engineering and Phishing attacks are more effective when they have a timely and relevant hook to bring in their victims. The more a target identifies with the subject line, the more likely they are to open the email and fall for the attack," said Saryu Nayyar, CEO of cybersecurity firm Gurucul.
"The pandemic has proven a boon for these attackers, as people are justifiably concerned for their health and safety. The fact is, cybercriminals and other malicious actors have learned the old political lesson well: never let a good crisis go to waste."
"The pandemic has created the perfect storm for cybercriminals. First of all, many companies were forced to shift to remote work, and less prepared ones became a quick gain for online attackers. Secondly, the general panic and fear of the pandemic made people more susceptible to such threats," said Rachel Welch, COO of Atlas VPN. Other cybersecurity experts noted that attackers want to use anything that will get people to open an email, and due to the rampant discussion of COVID-19, it is an easy tool for cybercriminals and others.
Bill Santos, president and COO of security firm Cerberus Sentinel, noted that the ambiguity of the COVID-19 pandemic created a perfect situation for millions of attacks to be launched.