Coronavirus: Using the Internet Allows Us to Take Care of Ourselves
April 24, 2020
By Graciela
Martínez *
LACNIC CSIRT has
observed an increase in cybercrime reports during the current global health
crisis.
Faced with
this serious situation, the “bad guys” of the Internet have not wasted any time
and, unfortunately, are taking advantage of the vulnerabilities created by the
emergency, the need for information many people experience, and the key role
that the Internet is playing today.
In
addition, many people are resorting to telecommuting and this is forcing the
use of an increased number of digital solutions in non-controlled environments
such as companies themselves.
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According
to information provided by Recorded Future, in the first trimester of 2020, registration
of domain names related to the coronavirus grew from very few to close to 800.
For this
reason, LACNIC CSIRT has tried to update the Internet community with the latest
information about certain types of fraud so that everyone can be on the lookout
and prevent cyberfraud.
In this
context, there has been an increase in cybercrime targeting users who wish to
access maps with information on the coronavirus pandemic, coronavirus symptoms,
and other coronavirus related topics. Many of these attacks direct users to
malicious websites that not only try to steal confidential user information but
also provide fake diagnoses.
According
to information provided by Recorded Future, in the first trimester of 2020, registration
of domain names related to the coronavirus grew from very few to close to 800.
For this
reason, LACNIC CSIRT has tried to update the Internet community with the latest
information about certain types of fraud so that everyone can be on the lookout
and prevent cyberfraud.
In this
context, there has been an increase in cybercrime targeting users who wish to
access maps with information on the coronavirus pandemic, coronavirus symptoms,
and other coronavirus related topics. Many of these attacks direct users to
malicious websites that not only try to steal confidential user information but
also provide fake diagnoses.
Attackers
have also targeted online shopping sites. Fake websites have been created
offering protective products that are currently in high demand, such as face
masks and hand sanitizer. Attackers are also taking advantage of this type of
websites to request Bitcoin donations under the pretense of funding research to
find a vaccine against the virus.
The most
common form of attack is via email – most of these fraud attempts use an email
attachment or a link to a malicious site.
According
to Vade Secure, many documents created with the Microsoft suite have been
detected that exploit previously known vulnerabilities. These documents appear
to originate in reliable sources and contain information regarding the
evolution of the virus, protection tips and other topics.
Several
industries have been affected by these campaigns, including the pharmaceutical
sector, the cosmetics sector, the financial sector, transportation and others.
Some people
don’t regard credential theft as a serious crime. However, when one considers
that this information allows attackers to gain access to other systems, we
realize that it is indeed very serious, as attackers know that many people use
the same username and password for different purposes.
Recommendations. Given the increase in fraud, LACNIC CSIRT has prepared the following
recommendations:
Avoid opening links to unknown
websites or clicking on links suggested by unknown persons or pop-up windows.
Take a look at the URL you wish to
visit. If it seems suspicious or you are unfamiliar with the website, try
typing it yourself in your browser.
Don’t open links (URLs) that offer
seemingly wonderful products that will keep you from becoming infected or that
offer immunity.
Stay alert to messages asking you
to urgently provide personal information. No institution will ask us to enter
our personal information this way.
Change the settings of the online
platforms you use so that participants cannot share their screens.
Always check the source and never
provide personal data or documents.
Keep your systems up-to-date and
your backups current.
Look up official websites.
Regularly change your passwords and
avoid using the same password for different websites.
If affected, report the problem as
soon as possible to the institution involved. Otherwise, a list of regional
CSIRTs is available here.
