Article Read Time
Hackers come in all shapes and sizes, from all countries, of all ages, and both male and female backgrounds, as well as from diverse nationalities and more. It’s not the lone hacker in a dark hoodie bent over his laptop in a dark room. It may be the pretty young redhead at the coffee shop, the middle-aged next-door neighbor who has just been laid off from work, the activist trying to disable a police department’s emergency services line, or the disgruntled citizen trying to disrupt a state unemployment office because her claim was denied.
Just as with counter-espionage operations in intelligence agencies, where various reasons for espionage are identified (C.R.I.M.E. – Coercion, Revenge, Ideology, Money, Ego), we also know that people perpetrate cybercrime for multiple reasons. Hackers (hacktivists) are “hacking activists” for political or social change. Money via blackmail, ransomware, or just basic theft. Espionage, either nation-state or economic, is the theft of trade secrets to benefit a country or a company. Disruption to wreak havoc (often these are known as script kiddies). Revenge against an organization or person.
During 2020, amid the pandemic, we saw a marked increase in “opportunists”, that is, people who capitalize on unexpected events, often tragic events. They prey on those who are vulnerable because of their circumstances. They may use open-source information to research people or organizations to perpetrate a charade that appears more realistic to the target (i.e., the “victim”).
True to their name, these people seized upon the ‘opportunity’ to go after many people and organizations during the pandemic. The FBI reported a 300% increase in opportunistic cyber crime attacks by August of 2020.
Due to the pandemic’s nature, more people were working from home, shopping online, holding virtual meetings, and engaging in other remote activities. For employers, they suddenly had to figure out how to keep their employees engaged while working from home. They were using home computers and/or home networks. Endpoint security (devices such as laptops and tablets), as well as network security, was no longer under their control.
All this provided a tremendous opportunity for cyber hackers. Some of these attacks include fake COVID-19 trackers, fake charity websites, messages about the pandemic with hidden malware, and even ransomware attacks on pharmaceutical and other healthcare organizations. And for those who have to meet via electronic meeting applications, we have seen instances of “Zoombombing,” where uninvited people hijack and disrupt video meetings.
These opportunists are equal opportunity criminals. They will go after companies of all sizes, government organizations, non-profits, and individuals. They don’t care if they are affecting the production or distribution of life-saving materials and drugs. They are only focused on their reward.
The best thing an organization can do is to update technology (patching), implement security protocols, and provide continuous security awareness training to all employees.
At Commonwealth Sentinel, we offer technical solutions like Security Operations Center (SOC) and training packages to help you prevent falling victim to cyber crime. Our Critical Response Team can help you get your systems back up and running if the worst happens. What’s your first step? Schedule a free consultation today or contact us at (502) 320-9885 for more information.