The Vulnerability of Cybersecurity and the Covid-19 Virus and What Can Be Done About It In the year 2020, Steve Burgess When we already had a lot of things to be concerned about. With so many of us working from home (nearly 90 percent of American corporations are encouraging or requiring employees to do so), and with so little time to set up corporate cybersecurity barriers, it is possible that employees and their companies are more vulnerable than they have ever been before. Only a small percentage of people have had their home security or protection system professionally assessed or examined. It is quite possible that cybercriminals, who are always ready to seize an opportunity, would instantly take advantage of it by launching malware, phishing assaults, and other forms of cybercrime. An example of this would be the World Health Organization (WHO), which has lately been subjected to twice as many cyber assaults as in the past. In what is believed to be one of the most significant attempts, the Dark Hotel group is suspected of putting up a fake website on or around March 13, 2020, which is designed to imitate the internal email system of the World Health Organization (WHO). However, they were caught in the act, and this effort appeared to have yielded no results. Real-world viruses give rise to imitations of themselves. According to Alexander Urbelis, an expert from Blackstone Law Group, which is based in New York and monitors suspicious activity on the internet regarding domain registration, there are approximately 2,000 websites centered around the coronavirus that are being created every single day, the majority of which are obviously malicious. It’s possible that this is the case with specialists, but the term “obvious” is relative to perception. It’s possible that the majority are more susceptible to being duped. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), there has been a significant increase in the number of scams that take advantage of people’s fears regarding the COVID-19 virus. The majority of these scams target recipients in the three states that have reported the highest number of cases of COVID-19 infections: California, New York, and Washington. If you are one of the other 47, however, you should not be under the impression that a rise in the number of assaults is not already on the way. One of the victims is the Champaign Urbana Public Health District (CHUPD) in Illinois, which serves a population of 210,000 people and includes the largest university in the state with its services. The company’s major website was taken down on March 12, 2020, as a result of a ransomware infestation known as Netwalker. For CHUPD to continue to operate and maintain communication with its users, it was necessary for the organization to establish an alternative website. A number of different types of scams exist, including treatment scams (fake cures and vaccines), supply scams (fake accounts and websites that purport to sell medical supplies), provider scams (supposed doctors and hospitals that claim to have treated a friend and now need to get paid – by you), charity scams (of course), app scams (mobile apps that are disguised as tracking the disease but are actually tracking you), investment scams (as there always are), and a great number of phishing scams. How to proceed: It is possible to report fraudulent activity and other forms of misconduct to a variety of government agencies. • To the Department of Justice: Reporting fraud on the Covid website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/covid-19-fraud-page COVID-19 Fraud Coordinator, Senior Litigation Counsel Shaun Sweeney may be reached at USAPAW.COVID19@usdoj.gov or by calling 1-888-C19-WDPA with any questions. • You may contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation by calling 412-432-4000 or visiting their website at https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx. To the Federal Trade Commission, which may be found at ftc.gov/complaint. There are over twenty steps that you may perform on your own. Backup your data. • DO NOT react to anyone who tries to sell you a cure for COVID-19. • You should investigate businesses that provide supplies by reading internet reviews, contacting the Better Business Bureau, and using other rating websites. Research any charitable organizations that are looking for contributions. If you need some guidance in this matter, you might look at the website of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). • You should make use of secure passwords. On the website of Gibson Research Corporation, there is a page titled “Perfect Passwords,” which contains a helpful guidance. It is imperative that you protect your network, particularly your wireless router. You may get assistance in determining the optimal configurations for your specific piece of hardware from either the manufacturer or your Internet Service Provider. • Your operating system and antivirus software should be kept up to date at all times. Do not disclose your Social Security number to anybody or use it as a form of identification. Generally speaking, the only people that need it from you are your job, your banking institution, and government authorities. • You should make sure that your computer’s Guest account is disabled. • DO NOT make any of your personal information available to the public on social networks or anywhere else. • DO NOT open emails sent to you by individuals you do not know. If you are not familiar with a website, you should avoid making any transactions or contributions from that website. • It is strongly recommended that you install a firewall on your computer, either in the form of hardware or software. DO NOT divulge any of your passwords to any other individuals. • You should not use the same password for all of your accounts. You are responsible for ensuring that the Administrator access on your computer is secured and that only you have access to it (use a password). • Ensure that you deactivate access for guests on your computer. • You should turn off remote logins. If you want to log into your computer, phone, or email account, you should demand a password. Additionally, you should ensure that your phone or computer requires a password after a few minutes of inactivity. It is a nuisance, but it is a good idea. It is highly recommended that you visit the ShieldsUp! website of Gibson Research at https://www.grc.com/shieldsup in order to determine which ports on your computer are wide open and vulnerable to attack. Remember to use a password that is difficult to figure out (4 of the 5 most common iPhone passwords are 1234, 0000, 1111, 5555). Don’t make it simple for anyone to figure out! Ensure that you do not allow your mobile device to escape your sight. In emails or texts, you should avoid clicking on any links. If you wish to visit a website that was specifically referenced in an email, you should input the URL into the browser. It is a nuisance (once again), but it is necessary for your safety. • You should not open emails from someone you are not familiar with. Although they can seem to be intriguing, the danger involved is not worth taking. • Apps should only be downloaded via the App store provided by the phone manufacturer (such as the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store). There are those that are providing assistance. “CV19” is the name of a volunteer organization that has been established in the United Kingdom. They have set themselves the goal of “assisting healthcare institutions in identifying, protecting, detecting, and responding to present and developing cyber risks via the use of volunteers.” There are hundreds or millions of friends, neighbors, and simply nice people who are contributing in any manner they can to assist in whatever ways they can. The following are some of the methods in which you may accomplish the same thing. In addition, please adhere to the government’s rules about washing and keeping a safe distance. I hope you are doing well and that you are nice to your neighbors and other people. Together, we will get through this. Steve Burgess is a freelance technology writer, a practicing computer forensics and e-discovery specialist, and an expert witness as the principal of Burgess Forensics. Additionally, he is a contributor to the text Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases, Fifth Edition, written by Moenssens and others. The website http://www.burgessforensics.com or the email address steve@burgessforensics.com are also ways to get in touch with Mr. Burgess.
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