Exploitation in the time of COVID

BlackBerry Limited released its 2021 BlackBerry Threat Report, detailing a sharp rise in cyberthreats facing organizations since the onset of COVID-19. The research shows a cybercrime industry which has not only adapted to new digital habits, but also become increasingly successful in finding and targeting vulnerable organizations. The research also highlights a dangerous new shift in the cybercrime world — a topic I raised in recent columns — one in which mercenaries and crimeware-as-a-service model have become increasingly accessible.

At the outset of the pandemic, countless organizations suddenly had to support a large proportion of their workforce remotely, with many forced to digitize various parts of their infrastructure overnight. This evolution and adoption of digital, evermore-mobile offerings has exposed companies to inadequate protections for employees and customers amongst an ever-growing and under-secured attack surface. This surface reflects, with increasing frequency, the convergence of cyber and physical threats and supports cybercriminals who increasingly target healthcare organizations, using the pandemic to trick already vulnerable populations.