Cyber security in the age of COVID-19: A timeline and analysis of cyber-crime and cyber-attacks during the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic was a remarkable, unprecedented event which altered the lives of billions of citizens globally resulting in what became commonly referred to as the new-normal in terms of societal norms and the way we live and work. Aside from the extraordinary impact on society and business as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computers & security 2021-06, Vol.105, p.102248-102248, Article 102248
Main Authors: Lallie, Harjinder Singh, Shepherd, Lynsay A., Nurse, Jason R.C., Erola, Arnau, Epiphaniou, Gregory, Maple, Carsten, Bellekens, Xavier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attack timeline
Coronavirus
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Crime
Cyber security
Cyber-attack
Cyber-crime
Cybercrime
Cybersecurity
Home working
Norms
Pandemics
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Summary:The COVID-19 pandemic was a remarkable, unprecedented event which altered the lives of billions of citizens globally resulting in what became commonly referred to as the new-normal in terms of societal norms and the way we live and work. Aside from the extraordinary impact on society and business as a whole, the pandemic generated a set of unique cyber-crime related circumstances which also affected society and business. The increased anxiety caused by the pandemic heightened the likelihood of cyber-attacks succeeding corresponding with an increase in the number and range of cyber-attacks. This paper analyses the COVID-19 pandemic from a cyber-crime perspective and highlights the range of cyber-attacks experienced globally during the pandemic. Cyber-attacks are analysed and considered within the context of key global events to reveal the modus-operandi of cyber-attack campaigns. The analysis shows how following what appeared to be large gaps between the initial outbreak of the pandemic in China and the first COVID-19 related cyber-attack, attacks steadily became much more prevalent to the point that on some days, three or four unique cyber-attacks were being reported. The analysis proceeds to utilise the UK as a case study to demonstrate how cyber-criminals leveraged salient events and governmental announcements to carefully craft and execute cyber-crime campaigns.
ISSN:0167-4048
1872-6208
DOI:10.1016/j.cose.2021.102248