Digital security is one of the priorities of the European Commission and Brussels has announced that it is joining forces, in partnership with organizations such as the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA), Europol and CERT-EU, to ensure that Citizens are protected against the growing cyberameaseas generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The European Commission says that it is in contact with European cyber security organizations to stop cybercriminals, protect the population at risk and make communities aware of the dangers that are emerging.
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact in several sectors, leading to numerous companies around the world adopting a teleworking strategy. In addition, society is experiencing a time of great anxiety, and sometimes panic, due to the rapid spread of the disease. Cybercriminals have been taking advantage of changes in the lives of the population to launch malicious attacks, disseminate false information and even circumvent users on multiple platforms.
In Portugal, PJ and CNCS detected a new wave of fraudulent schemes that are trying to take advantage of the panic of some users regarding the pandemic. The authorities have detected since the beginning of February this year several cyber attacks that explore the COVID-19 theme, which were previously identified by cybersecurity companies at an international level.
Recently, DECO joined the appeals of the PJ and CNCS, alerting the public to the way in which fraudulent schemes, such as applications that supposedly accompany the evolution of the pandemic or with messages of miraculous cures for the disease, aim to access the Dice. "The first rule is to be suspicious, the second is to protect yourself", says the consumer protection association.
