12.14.20 -- COVID-19 And Cybersecurity: What Has Changed?

While new examples of malware and cybercriminal tactics crop up each day, plenty of the same old players, such as ransomware, continue to get upgrades and dominate the scene. Today’s malicious actors have adopted a more modular malware methodology, in which they combine attack methods and mix-and-match tactics to ensure maximum damage and/or financial success. Here are a few of nastiest characters and a breakdown of how they can work together.

As a cybercriminal tactic, phishing is not new. In fact, one of the very first records of the term appeared in an early internet “cracking” application in January of 1996. Despite its age, phishing continues to be one of the most pervasive cyberthreats individuals and businesses face. So, why is such an old method of internet trickery still so common? 

As you can imagine, evasive tactics are pretty common throughout cybercriminal activities. But they’re especially prevalent in the context of scripts. Scripts are pieces of code that can automate processes on a computer system. They have tons of legitimate uses, but, when used maliciously, they can be extremely effective and difficult to detect or block.

Like Darwin's finches, phishing has evolved from a single technique into many highly specialized tactics, each adapted to specific types of targets and technologies. But knowing about the hugely diverse set of today's phishing tactics can help ordinary people, home and business internet users alike, to be more prepared for the inevitable instance when they become the target.

Mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our lives. Because of the way we interact with our phones, it knows our likes, curiosities, and vulnerabilities, in addition to our passwords, financial data, and most closely held secrets. This seemingly infinite amount of data also makes our mobile devices highly attractive targets for malicious actors. That’s why it’s critical to protect phones from threats.