Quote:As Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson roll out COVID-19 vaccines cybercriminals are preying on the those hungry to get in line for immunization.
Between October and January the average number of COVID-19 vaccine-related spear-phishing attacks grew 26 percent, said Barracuda Networks researchers. At the same time, researchers with Check Point say they have found at least 294 potentially dangerous vaccine-related domains over the last four months.
The types of cybercriminal activity varies, from sending malicious emails that purport to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to posting advertisements on underground forums touting vaccine doses for sale. But with the vaccines being rolled out on a widespread basis, these new reports show attackers ramping up their activity on all fronts.
The intense emotions spurred by the pandemic – including mass hysteria and anxiety – create a perfect environment for cybercriminals to thrive, said researchers with Barracuda Networks on Thursday: “Capitalizing on fear and uncertainty, the attacks using urgency, social engineering, and other common tactics to lure victims,” they said.
Researchers pointed to brand impersonation tactics – including many attackers pretending to be the CDC in an attempt to convince email recipients to either click on a malicious attachment or hand over their credentials.
“Vaccine-related phishing emails impersonated a well-known brand or organization and included a link to a phishing website advertising early access to vaccines, offering vaccinations in exchange for a payment, or even impersonating health care professionals requesting personal information to check eligibility for a vaccine,” said Barracuda Networks researchers.
Read more: https://threatpost.com/covid-19-vaccine-...ks/164489/
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