Masks to social distancing: The security nightmare that COVID-19 is posing

New Delhi, May 11: Amidst the spread of the coronavirus, security agencies are having a nightmare. There are various threats that have emerged due to the pandemic.

Phishing, cyber attacks, infodemic and malware just to name a few. Further security officials tell OneIndia that the mask is another added headache for them as it would be extremely difficult to crack crimes by viewing CCTV footage as the person in question would have his face covered.

Screening at airports and other places would also be very difficult due to the mask. It would continue to remain challenging as the person in question would have his face covered. The social distancing norms also poses an additional challenge. However these are extraordinary times and both masks as well as social distancing norms are extremely crucial, the officer also explained.

Meanwhile, phishing remains one of the most common attacking techniques. The prime targets have been health organisations such as the WHO. Here the attacker impersonates through a spamming email and message on the context of a perceived authority across the world. The person would try to luring the victims through URLs or document downloads while using promises of important safety documentation.

Further the scammer would also register fake domains similar to the original onto confuse the audience.

Infodemic is another problem that the world is facing. Here theories about the virus being genetically engineered or used as a bio-weapon is being floated to cause mass hysteria. It is also used to incite racism.

The other issue is with regard to the increasing number of websites being registered following the outbreak of the coronavirus. Here misinformation is spread, phishing pages are being hosted and legitimate brands are being impersonated. Further, it has also been noticed that the internet is flooded with shady advertisements about masks and other amenities that are being offered at subsidised rates in exchange for bitcoins and customised forms also.

The sudden spurt in the work from home has also made the menace of cyber attacks higher. Most firms are using VPNs to remotely access the work place. Generally, these VPS are free service providers and they are likely to steal sensitive information such as the phone number and location. Further, it has also been noticed that hackers are taking advantage of less secured open home WIFI networks.