It is not possible to name one sector that has not been affected by the Covid-19 epidemic. Around the world, sectors including cybersecurity have taken massive hits in how they perform. A clear sign of this is the growing number of cybersecurity cases involving online fraud, scams, and phishing.
Let’s take a brief look at how the Covid-19 outbreak has affected the world of cybersecurity.
Growing Number of Cyber Issues
Earlier in 2020, someone decided to sell the Statue of Unity online. Then there were attempts to dupe people who were trying to donate to the PM Cares fund. This was done by using fake UPI handles and extorting money from unsuspecting givers.
In India, cyber financial crime is not a new topic. But the uptick in the number of such cases is something to be noted. As more and more people quarantine themselves and try to work from home, there has been a rise in online transactions. Whether it is to pay phone bills or to buy essential groceries. This sudden shift to online transactions (more than what it was in the pre-covid era) has given rise to this uptick.
People around the world are in a state of desperation and anxiety, which fraudsters take advantage of. So, for many people, while transacting online, there is a lack of extra attention that they would have otherwise paid.
Government to the Rescue
Most of these cyber cases are a result of lack of caution on the part of the user. However, the government and its associated bodies are scrambling to further contain this increase in cyber attacks.
According to Medianama, the Indian central government has made sure that certain sectors get heightened security in this period. This is to prevent them from falling victims to online fraud or hijacking, which can further have a negative impact on normal life in the country.
These sectors are transport, government, telecom, financial services, power and energy, and strategic and public enterprises.
Combining Public and Private
The epidemic has also shifted the attention to the ongoing debate of public and private companies working together. Private organizations have the resources to help public companies prevent cyber abuse. This is in the form of VPNs and other advanced cyber machinery that can help weed out fraudsters from even entering a system.
As is known that small preventive steps can help avoid huge cyber disasters, naysayers are also finally accepting the idea of a possible collaboration between the public and the private.
Importance of Cyber Knowledge
One thing that has come to the centre of the discussion is that such situations reinforce the idea of how important basic cybersecurity knowledge is. It is up to each user to exercise caution while transacting online.
It can be as simple as setting different passwords across platforms, not responding to fake or fake-looking messages, and limiting the use of online payment methods. A bit of supervision in these activities can help avoid disasters.
Cybersecurity is one of the most vulnerable sectors in this age of corona virus. It is our collective responsibility to prevent it from harming the already-bleeding economy.
