COVID-19 pandemic cybersecurity issues

ABSTRACT

This paper studies the cybersecurity issues that have occurred during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. During the pandemic, cyber criminals and Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups have taken advantage of targeting vulnerable people and systems. This paper emphasizes that there is a correlation between the pandemic and the increase in cyber-attacks targeting sectors that are vulnerable. In addition, the growth in anxiety and fear due to the pandemic is increasing the success rate of cyber-attacks. We also highlight that healthcare organizations are one of the main victims of cyber-attacks during the pandemic. The pandemic has also raised the issue of cybersecurity in relation to the new normal of expecting staff to work from home (WFH), the possibility of state-sponsored attacks, and increases in phishing and ransomware. We have also provided various practical approaches to reduce the risks of cyber-attacks while WFH including mitigation of security risks related to healthcare. It is crucial that healthcare organizations improve protecting their important data and assets by implementing a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity. © 2020 The Authors. Internet Technology Letters Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.