We have kept saying that the COVID-19 debacle is wreaking havoc all over the world and it is also true that this has caused an effect on cybersecurity of people. However, the hackers have gone to an all-time low as it is revealed that they’ve gone on to attack the World Health Organization. WHO is the most trusted organization which is relied upon to have the most accurate and verified reports regarding the COVID-19 cases and what should be done during these times.
Sources have informed Reuters that there was an attempt by elite hackers to break inside WHO earlier this month and possibly gather data which has not been revealed by the organization publicly yet. WHO Chief Information Security Officer Flavio said that “identity of the hackers was unclear and the effort was unsuccessful. But he warned that hacking attempts against the agency and its partners have soared as they battle to contain the coronavirus, which has killed more than 15,000 worldwide”.
He added that “I realized quite quickly that this was a live attack on the World Health Organization in the midst of a pandemic”. Revealing more about the attack, it is known that “activity picked up around March 13, when a group of hackers he’d been following activated a malicious site mimicking the WHO’s internal email system”.
Furthermore, he added that he didn’t know who was responsible, but two other sources briefed on the matter said they suspected an advanced group of hackers known as DarkHotel, which has been conducting cyber-espionage operations since at least 2007.
Now, we believe that it is totally shameful to report about the fact that hackers are not leaving these organizations meant for public’s health even during times of a pandemic but it is what it is and WHO says that they have already secured their systems and that the attack was also a failed attempt.
