How COVID-19 Can Infect Your Organization's Network

COVID-19, colloquially referred to as "the coronavirus", made its entrance onto the world stage in early January, when several cases were confirmed in China. Canada confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on January 25, and by January 30, the World Health Organization ("WHO") declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a matter of international concern. To date, COVID-19 has instilled in the general public a sense of fear and anxiety, which many people have chosen to combat by seeking out updates and information about how they can protect themselves. Rates of people working remotely to isolate themselves from the risk have also increased.

Unfortunately, cybercriminals, including state-sponsored hackers connected to Russia, North Korea and China, have quickly developed ways to exploit peoples' fear and reactions to COVID-19. Email campaigns designed to look like communications from official sources like the WHO or government agencies purport to offer updates or preparedness tips