Tribune News Network
DOHA
Qatar recorded 2,033 email, URL and file threats related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Q1 2020, the second-highest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to a new research from Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions.
As the COVID-19 continues to spread, the topic is being used in many malicious campaigns, including email spam, business email compromise (BEC), malware, ransomware and malicious domains. Fraud activity is still on the rise as communities remain in quarantine.
Qatar recorded one of the highest figures in the GCC, including 1,923 email spam attacks, two malware threats and 108 URL attacks. Figures are based on cyberthreats blocked by Trend Micro.
During Q1 2020, the GCC recorded 8,984 email spam attacks, the 4th-highest in Asia; 17 malware threats, the 3rd-highest in Asia; and 772 URL attacks, the 7th-highest in Asia.
"While Qatar has brought COVID-19 under control from a public health standpoint, the country’s ranking in the GCC for COVID-19 cyber-attacks shows that organisations need to do more to tighten their cyber security solutions and processes,” said Assad Arabia, country manager – Qatar, Trend Micro.
Worldwide, Trend Micro blocked more than 907,000 spam messages, recorded more than 48,000 hits on malicious URLs and detected 737 malware threats, all related to COVID-19. In threats related to COVID-19, URL attacks increased 260x and email spam attacks increased 220x from February 2020-March 2020 period. The US leads in all COVID-19 attacks.
"As Qatar employees adapt to new methods of working, they should be wary of cybercriminals using popular online tools, sharing software and file attachments in their scams,” added Assad Arabi. "Unverified mobile apps tracking COVID-19 can also present major risks.”
Industry experts recommend a multilayered approach to protect all fronts and prevent users from accessing malicious domains that could deliver malware. Trend Micro solutions can detect and block malware, malicious domains and spear phishing emails; find unknown malware using machine learning; thwart spam and email attacks; and use AI to identify email attacks.
DOHA
Qatar recorded 2,033 email, URL and file threats related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Q1 2020, the second-highest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to a new research from Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions.
As the COVID-19 continues to spread, the topic is being used in many malicious campaigns, including email spam, business email compromise (BEC), malware, ransomware and malicious domains. Fraud activity is still on the rise as communities remain in quarantine.
Qatar recorded one of the highest figures in the GCC, including 1,923 email spam attacks, two malware threats and 108 URL attacks. Figures are based on cyberthreats blocked by Trend Micro.
During Q1 2020, the GCC recorded 8,984 email spam attacks, the 4th-highest in Asia; 17 malware threats, the 3rd-highest in Asia; and 772 URL attacks, the 7th-highest in Asia.
"While Qatar has brought COVID-19 under control from a public health standpoint, the country’s ranking in the GCC for COVID-19 cyber-attacks shows that organisations need to do more to tighten their cyber security solutions and processes,” said Assad Arabia, country manager – Qatar, Trend Micro.
Worldwide, Trend Micro blocked more than 907,000 spam messages, recorded more than 48,000 hits on malicious URLs and detected 737 malware threats, all related to COVID-19. In threats related to COVID-19, URL attacks increased 260x and email spam attacks increased 220x from February 2020-March 2020 period. The US leads in all COVID-19 attacks.
"As Qatar employees adapt to new methods of working, they should be wary of cybercriminals using popular online tools, sharing software and file attachments in their scams,” added Assad Arabi. "Unverified mobile apps tracking COVID-19 can also present major risks.”
Industry experts recommend a multilayered approach to protect all fronts and prevent users from accessing malicious domains that could deliver malware. Trend Micro solutions can detect and block malware, malicious domains and spear phishing emails; find unknown malware using machine learning; thwart spam and email attacks; and use AI to identify email attacks.