Cybercrime has sparked thanks to Coronavirus

When bans and curfews were put in place around the world to protect citizens from Covid-19, online daily life shifted. As for work, many companies used digital programs like Skype and Zoom to give employees the ability to work remotely, and various e-learning initiatives have also been launched to encourage primary school students. , Secondary and college levels allowed them to continue studying from home during the pandemic. In Bahrain, for example, the Ministry of Education set up an online portal for students and teachers that was updated daily with thousands of lessons, sample exams, e-books and other learning materials. In other countries, social distancing measures have led to an increase in demand for e-commerce platforms and online delivery services. In Indonesia, for example, digital transactions increased 102.5% year over year in the first four months of 2020. In the United Arab Emirates, figures from Ken Research showed that online food orders had increased by 80-100% in the first few months of the year as a result of the virus, while some online retailers in Saudi Arabia saw an increase in the early stages of the pandemic average sales by 200%. While the proliferation of digital solutions has played a significant role in reducing the risk of contracting the virus and allowing people to continue working and studying, it has also increased cybersecurity challenges. Put simply, the more people use digital platforms, the more pressure there is on existing cyber security controls and the greater the likelihood of potential attacks. This is especially relevant for those who work from home. While companies often have cybersecurity defenses installed in offices and on company computers, this does not always apply to employees who work remotely. McKinsey said the move to remote working has exacerbated long-standing cybersecurity risks, such as People accessing unsecured data without VPN software and the physical and psychological stressors that often cause employees to bypass controls and take risky options to complete assigned tasks. Similar threats apply to financial platforms. Given the increased activity and the significantly increased value of the funds transferred, many analysts believe that there is an increased cyber threat on insecure platforms. This is especially true in emerging markets: Less wealthy people are more likely to use unsecured digital channels or older methods that use SMS or USSD to conduct financial transactions. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have also been numerous high-profile reports of individuals and institutions being targeted by hackers.