Security Magazine on COVID-19 Vulnerability Exploit: Telephone Phishing

Hikvision on the Rise in COVID-19 Phishing Attacks, Hacks and Vulnerability Exploits, and Tips to Stay Safe

Hikvision’s senior director of cybersecurity, Chuck Davis, has written numerous recent blogs on the rise in COVID-19 phishing attacks, hacks and vulnerability exploits. Security magazine covered a type of phishing that is gaining more traction called vishing, the telephone equivalent of phishing, in this article: “Vishing and Cybercriminals during COVID-19.”

Vishing is a cost-effective way to target individuals, and hackers can often find information easily via social platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook. The use of the human voice makes the threat seem more believable, according to the article.

“Vishing scams often hook their victims with a legitimate piece of information, like a Social Security or bank account number,” said Sam Rubin, VP at cybersecurity provider Crypsis Group, in the article. He added that "Often a partial number—like the last four digits of a Social Security number—is enough to do the trick. More elaborate scams (or more security-savvy individuals) may require more detailed personal information for vishing success.”

Hikvision has posted an entire series of blogs related to coronavirus-related vulnerabilities, threats and hacks, which also include tips to stay safe. Read this blog to learn more and find additional links to the series: “Hikvision Blog Series: Senior Cybersecurity Director on COVID-19 Hacks, Phishing & Cyberattacks.”