BlackBerry Reports Rise In Cybercrime Since Onset Of COVID-19 Pandemic

On Wednesday BlackBerry Inc BB released its annual 2021 cyber-security threat report detailing increased cybercrime activity.

What Happened: BlackBerry’s report shows that since the onset of COVID-19 attackers have tailored attacks to the new work-from-home reality and have increased the number of attacks. As companies were forced to quickly digitalize operations, many overlooked digital security, leaving employees and customers vulnerable to digital crime.

BlackBerry reports that cybercriminals also targeted healthcare organizations and food supply sectors, and were able to penetrate software platforms to reach customers through phishing campaigns.

Why It Matters: BlackBerry reports cybercriminals were able to reach victims through unsecured mobile technology, insufficient email protection and overexposure of information on social media. Blackberry also reports cybercriminals groups now possess highly sophisticated methods and tools.

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“Additional research into threat actors such as BAHAMUT and CostaRicto shows that these groups possess the tools once thought to be solely the domain of nation-state attackers. This presents a new danger for companies, one where attacks can be more frequent, skillful and targeted,” it said in the report.

What’s Next: As companies and organizations continue to digitalize operations they will need to find security solutions that allow them to stay one step ahead of cyber threats. “From round-the-clock monitoring to AI-driven security tools and insider threat detection, the same time-tested security fundamentals — and an understanding of how current events impact an organization’s attack surface — can make the difference between a data breach and a successful cyber defense,” said Eric Milam, vice president of research and intelligence at BlackBerry.

Photo by Yeshi Kangrang on Unsplash.