The New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell, a division of the US state’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, warns state residents to beware of email and social media-based phishing attacks that reference the coronavirus.
The press release referenced research from Checkpoint Software’s Global Threat Index for January 2020, that “since January 2020, more than 4,000 coronavirus-related domains have been registered globally … 3% of which were found to be malicious and an additional 5% are suspicious;” higher than the rate for themes such as Valentine’s Day. The company identifies the most common forms of malware in its January report.
Why it matters
Phishing attacks and suspicious Web sites are often vectors for criminals to steal personal information that can later be sold or used to penetrate digital media and entertainment services.