With the COVID-19 lockdown , many things have changed. Most people are working from home , and this has certainly not gone unnoticed by hackers . More and more cybercriminals are targeting employees remotely working who are , often using COVID-19-related themes in their attacks (fake websites, emails , etc.). That's why the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in the UK is encouraging people to report suspicious emails and messages in an effort to stop phishing scams.
Many people have never worked from home before. They have no prior experience doing so and may be unaware of some of the potential security.
Cybercriminals acted quickly, with a series of attacks designed to exploit the confusion surrounding this sudden change and allow the theft of passwords ,login credentials, or sensitive corporate information.
Now the NCSC, along with the Home Office, the Department for Culture and Sport (DCMS) and the Metropolitan Police, have launched a “Suspicious Email Reporting Service”which people can use to alert authorities to potential cyberattacks ,whether related to COVID-19 or other issues.
If the message contains suspicious links or addresses that lead to dangerous sites, they will be removed. According to the NCSC, all data will be analyzed to identify attack patterns and more quickly remove new scam websites.
This new initiative aims to strengthen efforts to remove dangerous sites and combat phishing and other scams. Already, in the last month, more than 2,000 fake COVID-19 sites have been removed. 471 of these sites were purported to be online stores selling COVID-19 products. 555 distributed malware. 200 were phishing sites and 832 were related to “deposit” scams, where victims gave money and the scammers promised them that they would get much more money back.
“Technology is helping us deal with the coronavirus crisis, but that means cybersecurity is more important than ever,” said NCSC chief executive Ciaran Martin.
“That’s why we’ve created a new national suspicious email reporting service, and if they lead to COVID-19 sites with malicious content, they will be removed or blocked. By forwarding messages to us, you’ll be protecting the UK from email scams and other cybercrime.”
"As we all stay at home and spend more time online, there are more opportunities for criminals to try to scam people," said Police Commissioner Karen Baxter.
"Law enforcement is working closely with the government to ensure that the public and businesses are as well equipped as possible to combat online fraud," he said.
The suspicious email reporting service has come with some key tips. The NCSC stresses that people need to be aware of cyber scams so they are prepared in the event of an attack. The NCSC's six tips are:
- Enable two-factor authentication on all your accounts
- Protect important accounts using a three-word random password
- Create a separate password that you use only for your primary email account
- Update the software and apps on devices (ideally choose the setting for “automatic updates”)
- To protect yourself from ransomware attacks, back up all your important data .
