Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, many of us are living and working in isolation in a global effort to flatten the curve and protect our health systems and the at-risk among us.  As we all step up our efforts to practice good hygiene and safety, we must also step up our online safety. As in any time of crisis, there are those who rush to help and those who seek to take advantage of the situation and cause harm. Today, our primary source of information is online. This crisis is sending an enormous number of online users franticly searching for the latest news and information; this provides hackers with the perfect environment for phishing emails and links to sites infected with malware.

Avoid the following:

• Android applications that claim to provide access to any real-time virus map.
• Websites with links that read like “VITAL Information to protect yourself from the coronavirus” .
• Outside schools/universities/colleges (other than your specific school) offering updates about coronavirus-related news. Double check the source of the link/email.

We recommend taking in information through only trusted and reliable sources. We strongly suggest that users refrain from opening emails or clicking on links with supposed health-related content as many of these may contain malware.

Trusted sources for information:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • https://www.cdc.gov
• World Health Organization
  • https://www.who.int/
• Government Response to Coronavirus, COVID-19
  • https://www.usa.gov/coronavirus
• Worldometer provides updates on COVID-19 statistics
  • https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

References:

• Attorney General William Barr directed federal prosecutors on Monday to prioritize investigations of fraud and hackers exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic:
  • https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/politics/barr-investigate-fraudsters/index.html

• Attorney General James Orders Alex Jones on fake Coronavirus testing:
  • https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2020/attorney-general-james-orders-alex-jones-stop-selling-fake-coronavirus-treatments

• Cybercriminals exploiting the coronavirus panic by creating hundreds of fraudulent websites offering fake information in attempt o steal users’ data and make a profit:
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8076199/Hackers-exploit-coronavirus-creating-hundreds-fake-websites-steal-data-make-profit.html

• Check Point’s Global Threat Index shows cyber-criminals are exploiting interest in the global epidemic to spread malicious activity through several spam campaigns relating to the outbreak of the virus:
  • https://blog.checkpoint.com/2020/03/05/update-coronavirus-themed-domains-50-more-likely-to-be-malicious-than-other-domains/

• Security News This Week: Elite Hackers Are Using Coronavirus Emails to Set Traps
  • https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-phishing-ad-fraud-clearview-security-news/

• A fake coronavirus tracking app is ransomware that threatens to leak social media accounts and delete a phone’s storage unless the user/victim pays $100 in bitcoin:
  • https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-fake-app-ransomware-malware-bitcoin-android-demands-ransom-domaintools-2020-3