More than 400 cybersecurity experts have formed the COVID-19 CTI League, a cyber threat intelligence group designed to help organizations combat cyberattacks during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Reuters.
The COVID-19 CTI League's top priority is to combat hacks against medical facilities and other frontline responders during the coronavirus pandemic, Marc Rogers, one of the group's managers and executive director of cybersecurity at identity and access management (IAM) company Okta, told Reuters.
In addition, the COVID-19 CTI League is leveraging its Internet infrastructure contacts to find ways to stop phishing attacks and other financial crimes that are using the fear of COVID-19 or requests for information about the coronavirus pandemic to deceive Internet users, Rogers stated.
The COVID-19 CTI League has already stopped at least one campaign that used a software vulnerability to spread malicious software, Rogers indicated. It also is working to resolve hacks against various healthcare organizations.
Cyberattacks Continue During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Hackers continue to launch various cyberattacks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance:
- Finastra, the world’s third-largest fintech company, has released details about a ransomware attack that took place last week. The cyberattack forced Finastra to temporarily shut down its IT servers, and the company is working to restore its IT operations after the incident.
- Cybercriminals also launched a ransomware attack this month against the Illinois Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) website. CUPHD officials discovered the cyberattack as they tried to deliver COVID-19 updates to Champaign-Urbana residents.
Along with cyberattacks related COVID-19, the coronavirus pandemic has triggered cybersecurity conference cancelations, postponements and proactive health measures worldwide.
