COVID-related email attacks on the rise
July 15, 2020 - Scammers are using the COVID-19 pandemic in phishing emails, according to a new report from KnowBe4, a Clearwater-based cybersecurity training company. Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. During the second quarter of 2020, simulated phishing tests with a message related to coronavirus were clicked on 56 percent of the time. "These phishing scams are becoming more aggressive and more targeted as this pandemic continues. Everyone should remain very skeptical of any email related to COVID-19 coming into their inbox," Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 CEO, said in a news release.