April: European Cybersecurity Organisation (ECSO) Malware Month. Biological and Electronic Viruses (One Year Later)

Cybersecurity Threats One Year into the Pandemic

A year ago, when restrictions and lockdowns due to COVID-19 began, we warned about the dangers of hoaxes, fake news, and malware exploiting the situation to attack companies and individuals.

Today, we’ve adapted to new habits — washing our hands constantly, wearing masks in public, keeping social distance, attending meetings by video call, and working from home regularly.

But we cannot let our guard down.
Just as relaxing health measures can trigger outbreaks, lowering our cyber vigilance can lead to new attacks — which continue to grow relentlessly.

Recent Cases of Cyber Incidents

• Spain: In March, the Ryuk ransomware paralyzed the systems of the State Public Employment Service.
• Global: The same month, the REvil group infected ACER’s systems with ransomware, demanding a $50 million ransom.

The Growing Ransomware Threat

According to Group-IB, ransomware attacks grew 150% in the past year. In many cases, the initial breach was caused by human error — such as visiting a malicious website or opening an attachment from a phishing email.

The Solution: Become a Human Firewall

Understanding how attackers operate is essential to defending against them. Awareness and training help individuals recognize threats before they cause harm.