By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Hackers-for-hire emerged as the biggest threat to online security in the last 15 months, with the COVID-19 pandemic and home working creating opportunities for cybercriminals, EU cybersecurity agency ENISA said in its annual report on Wednesday.
The study, which covered the period April 2020 to July 2021, seeks to help governments and companies understand cybersecurity threats and develop techniques to tackle the problem.
High profile ransomware attacks in recent months include that against the Colonial Pipeline that caused fuel disruptions in the eastern United States in May, and a separate case involving Brazilian company JBS SA, the world’s largest meatpacker.
“The COVID-19 crisis has created possibilities for adversaries who used the pandemic as a dominant lure in campaigns for email attacks for instance. Monetisation appears to be the main driver of such activities,” the report said.
The health sector was a significant target especially in the May-July period this year as hackers searched for vaccine information, the study said.
Public administration and government and digital service providers also reported a large number of incidents. Hackers preferred to be paid off in cryptocurrency.
Other growing cyber threats cited in the report include cryptojacking where a criminal uses a victim’s computing power to generate cryptocurrency and which reached a record high in the first quarter of this year, and misinformation and disinformation.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by David Gregorio)
Wanda Rich has been the Editor-in-Chief of Global Banking & Finance Review since 2011, playing a pivotal role in shaping the publication’s content and direction. Under her leadership, the magazine has expanded its global reach and established itself as a trusted source of information and analysis across various financial sectors. She is known for conducting exclusive interviews with industry leaders and oversees the Global Banking & Finance Awards, which recognize innovation and leadership in finance. In addition to Global Banking & Finance Review, Wanda also serves as editor for numerous other platforms, including Asset Digest, Biz Dispatch, Blockchain Tribune, Business Express, Brands Journal, Companies Digest, Economy Standard, Entrepreneur Tribune, Finance Digest, Fintech Herald, Global Islamic Finance Magazine, International Releases, Online World News, Luxury Adviser, Palmbay Herald, Startup Observer, Technology Dispatch, Trading Herald, and Wealth Tribune.