World coronavirus dispatch: Govt-backed hacking on the rise amid pandemic

Google has said it is seeing an increase in phishing attacks at a time when the world is distracted from the coronavirus situation. These seem to be government-backed hacking attempts, often directed at healthcare establishments and healthcare data. Google’s Threat Analysis Group said it saw new activity from “hack-for-hire” firms, many based in India, that were creating Gmail accounts spoofing the WHO. These accounts largely targeted business leaders in financial services, consulting and healthcare corporations in numerous countries, including the US, Slovenia, Canada, India, Bahrain, Cyprus and UK, the company said in a blog post. Read more