Government issues advisory on potential phishing attacks against public under COVID-19 pretext

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has released an advisory via the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) warning the public of a large-scale phishing attack against businesses. The advisory states that hackers could try and steal personal and financial information under the pretext of local government authorities.

The potential phishing attacks were expected to start on June 21 where cyber attackers are likely to use the email ID “ncov2019@gov.in.” 

"The phishing campaign is expected to use malicious emails under the pretext of local authorities in charge of dispensing government-funded COVID-19 support initiatives. Such emails are designed to drive recipients towards fake websites where they are deceived into downloading malicious files or entering personal and financial information," CERT-IN said in a statement.

The CERT advisory further states that the attackers are claiming to have over 20 lakh email IDs and are planning to send spam emails with the subject ‘free COVID-19 for all residents of Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad’, inciting them to provide personal information.

Also Read: Here's how to spot a phishing attack online

It is advised that users should take precautionary measures and avoid being a victim to phishing attacks. The basic preventive measures include not opening attachments or a URL in unsolicited emails, encrypting sensitive documents stored on internet-connected devices, using anti-virus tools, firewalls, and filtering services.

The CERT has also stated that any unusual activity or attack should be reported immediately at incident@cert-in.org.in with relevant logs and email headers for analysis of the attack and taking appropriate actions.

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