An employee working from home receives an email from his human resources (HR) department with the subject line ‘HR release on Aarogya Setu’. In early May, the government said the use of the contact tracing app was mandatory for all public and private sector employees. With this in mind, he unassumingly opens the email and clicks the download tab. But instead of being taken to the Aarogya Setu app, he is led to a malicious URL. His laptop is irreversibly locked.
Ransomware, a type of malware that encrypts computer files, is often deployed through links in emails—called phishing attempts. Once it enters a computer network, as in the case of the unsuspecting employee, it starts stealing data. In exchange for a decryption key, the hackers demand a ransom.
The coronavirus pandemic and the sudden shift to remote working for millions of employees have presented cybercrooks with a one-of-a-kind opportunity. So much so that in mid-April, Google reported that in just one week, it saw a whopping 18 million daily malware and phishing emails related to Covid-19, sent via Gmail alone. This is in addition to the 240 million daily Covid-19 related spam messages Google saw.
Closer home, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERTIn), an agency within the ministry of electronics and information technology that deals with cyber security issues, noted that hackers were exploiting people’s fears around the virus. It warned that precautionary emails appearing to originate from the domain of the World Health Organization (WHO) were actually phishing attempts, as were other emails, SMSes (smishing) or WhatsApp messages (whishing) on topics like ‘relief package’, ‘safety tips during corona’, ‘corona testing kit’, ‘corona vaccine’ and ‘payment and donation during corona’.
Esta historia es de la edición June 19, 2020 de Forbes India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 19, 2020 de Forbes India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Message Delivered
How Beerud Sheth made Gupshup a profitable unicorn after one pivot, two near-death experiences and 15 years of slogging
Flames of Destruction
Forest fires and their alerts in the country have gone up sharply in recent times, posing a serious threat to our environment, wildlife and biodiversity. Can wildfires be prevented in a world dealing with climate change?
Growth Story
After playing a central role in establishing Capgemini’s strong base in India and its global acquisition strategy, CEO Aiman Ezzat must now defend his turf from India’s IT giants
Aiming High
With growing investor interest, cannabis startups in India hope to become part of a global boom where industrial hemp is used in sectors ranging from medicines to textiles
IT'S TIME TO HAVE A CYBER QUOTIENT
Data and its privacy in the new world order needs an all-in-one platform for people to check their sensitive information exposures and remediate the same, learn about preventive measures against cyberattacks, and more robust cyber hygiene practices