#IMOS21 How Hackers Used and Abused the Pandemic to Profit

In a year like no other, the world has faced unprecedented change and challenges, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting so many aspects of everyday life. During such a period of difficulty, scammers and malicious actors have sought to exploit the health crisis for their own means. Whether it has been through targeting business support or tax relief schemes, bludgeoning healthcare organizations with attacks or seeking to sow the seeds of fear and doubt in vaccine efforts, fraudsters have implemented various techniques for profit and gain at the expense of a global community under immense pressure. In this session, a panel of experts will reflect on the various ways in which hackers have targeted the pandemic over the past 12 months, lifting a lid on the methods employed and outlining how businesses and users can best protect themselves from ongoing COVID-related attacks, scams and fraudulent activity. Key takeaways: • How the COVID-19 pandemic has been maliciously exploited for profit and gain • Insight into some of the standout criminal campaigns detected over the last year • How the security community can help protect organizations as they recover from the pandemic