COVID-19 pandemic created optimal environment for cyber criminals, ransomware attacks: expert

An expert on the front line of cyber security for the Canadian government says COVID-19 has created a world of opportunity for criminals.

Sami Khoury, the head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, says the pandemic has been a catalyst for cyber criminals searching for victims and systems to exploit.

“Canada is a very connected country, but the pandemic has forced us to be even more connected working from home,” said Khoury. “All of these systems, remote access, have created an opportunity for cyber criminals to take advantage of either misconfigurations or weaknesses in the way some of these systems are deployed.”

The method of attack: ransomware.

That’s where a malicious operator gains access to, and locks down, a system critical to operations. The cyber criminal holds the system’s data hostage until money is turned over, usually in the form of cryptocurrency.

---

RELATED:

• Rebuffing ransomware: How to prevent your organization from becoming a victim
• Cybersecurity threat forces CRA website offline (Dec. 11)
• Risk of being scammed online rises with working from home, says expert

---

Khoury says throughout the pandemic, health-care providers have been a focus.

“They have no scruples, they’re going after money, and if they can get money out of an individual, a business, or a provincial entity, they’d go after it,” he said.

Over the course of 2021, there were at least 235 incidents reported to the Canadian Cyber Security Centre, more than half of which where critical infrastructure was targeted.

Khoury says changes during the pandemic created an optimal environment for attacks. He believes the numbers are likely higher.

READ MORE: ‘The internet’s on fire’ as techs race to fix software flaw (Dec. 10)

“IT systems are getting more and more complex, so getting a full spectrum of security on these IT systems is a bit challenging,” he said. “And cyber criminals are getting more sophisticated at finding these vulnerabilities and exploiting some of these vulnerabilities.”

One of the most important things you can do if you become the victim of an attack is to report it, Khoury says. Officials and law enforcement can learn from each instance on how to prevent future ones from taking place.