COVID-19 Resource Center: Latest News and Insights on the Novel Coronavirus and Cybersecurity Response

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we all live and work, creating the largest remote workforce in history. Never have topics such as identity and access management, device security and business resiliency been more critical. Use this COVID-19 Resource Center for the latest updates and opinions on the virus, its influence on the threat landscape and how global organisations can improve response.

Employee Surveillance: Who's the Boss(ware)?

Mathew J. Schwartz • July 8, 2020

With so many employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, vendors of time-tracking and productivity-monitoring software report surging interest in their wares. Regardless of whether organizations deploy light-touch or more Big Brother types of approaches, beware potential privacy repercussions.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

COVID-19: Privacy, Security Concerns as Businesses Reopen

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Fraud Management & Cybercrime

DIACC: Building a Fully Digital Canada

Anna Delaney • July 8, 2020

Joni Brennan, president of the Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC), says identity management is a core component to building a solid foundation for a socioeconomic safety net, particularly during a pandemic. However, engagement and education are also vital components to establishing a strong...

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Microsoft Seizes Domains Used for COVID-19 Phishing Scam

Doug Olenick • July 7, 2020

A U.S. federal court has issued an injunction that gives Microsoft permission to seize control of several malicious domains being used to operate a COVID-19-themed phishing scam, according to recently unsealed court documents.

Governance & Risk Management

Apache Guacamole Vulnerable to Reverse RDP Vulnerabilities

Akshaya Asokan • July 3, 2020

Apache Guacamole, an open-source application that allows for remote connections to devices, contains several vulnerabilities that could enable attackers to steal data or run remote code execution, Check Point Research found. These bugs come at a time when many employees are still working remotely.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Digital IDs: A Progress Report

Nick Holland • July 3, 2020

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report discusses global progress on adopting standard digital identifiers. Plus, a former cybercriminal discusses emerging fraud trends, and an update on the evolution of e-signatures.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Ex-Fraudster Brett Johnson: 'There Are Going to Be a Lot of Victims'

Tom Field • July 2, 2020

Tens of millions of Americans have lost jobs because of COVID-19. As a result, former 'most wanted" fraudster Brett Johnson predicts a surge in fraud, saying bluntly: "There are going to be a lot of victims."

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Brute-Force Attacks Targeting RDP on the Rise

Akshaya Asokan • June 30, 2020

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of brute-force attacks targeting RDP connections has steadily increased, spiking to 100,000 incidents per day in April and May, according to the security firm ESET. These attacks pave the way for launching ransomware attacks and planting cryptominers.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

PCI Council's Efforts to Fight Fraud During COVID-19 Crisis

Nick Holland • June 26, 2020

Troy Leach of the PCI Security Standards Council discusses how the shift to card-not-present transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic has created new fraud-fighting challenges and offers an update on pending standards revisions.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Ransomware Attacks in Healthcare: Are We Seeing a Surge?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • June 23, 2020

Four recent cybersecurity incidents that may have involved ransomware demonstrate the ongoing threats facing the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also serve as a warning that extra watchfulness is needed as physicians reopen their clinics.

Governance & Risk Management

The Remote Workforce: Cloud Security Challenges

Anna Delaney • June 23, 2020

As a result of the rapid move to a remote workforce, now is a golden opportunity to refine cybersecurity approaches - especially for the cloud, says Christian Toon, CISO at the international law firm, Pinsent Masons.

Governance & Risk Management

Zoom to Offer End-to-End Encryption for All Users

Doug Olenick • June 19, 2020

Zoom will begin beta testing an end-to-end encryption feature in July that it plans to make available at no charge to all who use the paid or free version of its teleconference platform. It's also rolling out other new security features.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

COVID-19-Themed Phishing Campaigns Diminish

Ishita Chigilli Palli • June 19, 2020

The surge in phishing campaigns and other types of fraud using COVID-19 themes has diminished in recent weeks, according to the Microsoft Threat Protection Intelligence Team, which asserts in a new report that such campaigns were never a dominant threat.

Governance & Risk Management

When Offices Reopen, Will Security Incidents Be Discovered?

Anna Delaney • June 19, 2020

When organizations eventually allow employees to return to their offices after the COVID-19 crisis subsides, they may discover "more network intrusions, data exfiltration and data breaches," says U.K. cybercrime expert Andrew Gould, who implores organizations to report these incidents to authorities.