How To Protect Yourself Against Corona-virus Phishing | Antivirus

Cyber attacks related to the coronavirus have increased significantly. The fact that many Austrians work from home exacerbates the problem.

E-mails ask users to install software for homework or video conferencing. Or they should enter passwords on websites to activate their e-mail account for the home office. There should also be tax breaks due to the corona crisis or even access to a vaccine if you register on the corresponding websites.

Wherever the coronavirus spreads, online fraud attempts and cyberattacks in connection with the infectious agent are also increasing. After China, Iran, South Korea, and Italy, domestic users have been increasingly targeted since last week.

"It's a classic, regardless of whether it is a volcanic eruption, political tension, or a virus, " says Josef Pichlmayr , managing director of the cybersecurity company Ikarus. "Lots of people are insecure. Attackers now see an opportunity to get data or money." The coronavirus is used as phishing bait.

Home Work Exacerbates the Problem

This is particularly tricky in the current situation. Numerous Austrian employees work from home to contain the further spread of the coronavirus. Because safe work equipment is not available everywhere, many use their private computers.

"Wherever people are in the home office, you have to expect that attackers have one or the other advantage," says Pichlmayr . Even if company data is accessed via a secured VPN (Virtual Private Network), a lot can happen, since the security requirements cannot be met in a private environment.

Often programs also have to be downloaded and installed. Also, colleagues who otherwise help with computer problems are themselves at home or have other worries. "It will take a while for that to work out," says Pichlmayr .

How to Protect Yourself from Attacks

• Check email addresses. In the case of emails related to the coronavirus, you should check the addresses carefully. Often they differ only slightly from addresses of health authorities or other official organizations. A forgery can be recognized by the fact that, for example, the address abbreviation for Austrian government agencies "gv. at" occurs, but before the spider monkey, for example, gv.at@info.com or infor@gvat.com.

• Do not click on links and attachments in dubious emails. Under no circumstances should you click on links and attachments in dubious e-mails and certainly not enter passwords on other websites. The web addresses of links given in the emails should also be carefully checked for spelling.

• Check information. If such emails contain unsettling information, you should always check them with other sources of information. In general, Pichlmayr recommends using traditional information channels, such as newspaper news portals or TV stations.

• Never forward dubious mails. Under no circumstances should you forward emails with dubious content. It is also unsettling when such messages come from people who are usually trusted, says Pichlmayr .

• Apps from official sources only. Apps for the desktop, but also for smartphones and tablets, should only be installed via official app stores.  

• Separate devices for work and personal use. Computers that are used to log into the company network should not be used privately. Security expert Pichlmayr recommends switching to alternative devices for private Internet consumption that is only used at home.

• Install antivirus software. Computers that are used to log into the company network have a high chance of exposure to internet threats. Security expert Pichlmayr recommends installing an antivirus program.