Article Source Sendmarc

An Unprecedented Phishing Pandemic: Attackers Take Aim at Vulnerable Healthcare Providers and Patients

As if Covid-19 wasn’t enough of a crisis, the number of cyber attacks on frontline healthcare responders has surged at the same time as the global pandemic – trending upwards almost entirely in line with case numbers.

This destructive force has caused massive disruption and has put the lives of both patients and professionals at even greater risk. So why would critical services be preyed on at a time like this?

It can only be assumed that where there is fear, uncertainty, urgency and panic, there also exists a lucrative opportunity for cyber criminals and those who wish to bring even more chaos to the world.

Since the start of the Covid-19 global pandemic, the world has experienced a significant increase in the number of cyber attacks.

In March 2020, global security vendor Barracuda reported that phishing emails had spiked by over 600% since February, as cyber-criminals looked to capitalise on the fear and uncertainty generated by the virus. One third of these attacks used impersonation of a known brand as a tactic to steal money and data, and deliver malware to victims.
To learn more about the vulnerability of the SA healthcare sector to cyber crime and to read the full article, click here.
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