![handle is hein.crs/govcavq0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
Researh Sevice
COVID-19: Cybercrime Opportunities and
Law Enforcement Response
March 19, 2020
Opportunistic criminals and other malicious actors exploit the internet and rapidly evolving technology to
their advantage. Criminals can compromise financial assets; hacktivists can flood websites with traffic,
effectively shutting them down; and spies can steal intellectual property and government secrets. And,
they capitalize on ever changing world events. Federal officials have cautioned about scams relating to
the outbreak of disease caused by a previously unidentified strain of coronavirus, designated Coronavirus
Disease 2019, or COVID- 19. They have noted that [c]yber actors may send emails with malicious
attachments or links to fraudulent websites to trick victims into revealing sensitive information or
donating to fraudulent charities or causes.
Indeed, analysts and officials have reported criminals using public interest in COVID- 19 to their
advantage. For instance, the Department of Justice (DOJ) cites reports of individuals and businesses
selling fake cures for COVID- 19 online and engaging in other forms of fraud, reports of phishing emails
from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
and reports of malware being inserted onto mobile apps designed to track the spread of the virus. In one
scheme reported by security experts, hackers sold a malware infection kit that used an interactive map of
coronavirus infections produced by Johms Hopkins University. The kit was designed to spread malware to
steal passwords.
Cybercrime Investigations
Federal law enforcement has the principal role in investigating and attributing cyber incidents, including
those that may take advantage of heightened public interest in the COVID- 19 pandemic, to specific
perpetrators, and this responsibility has been codified within the broader framework of federal cyber
incident response. Specifically, DOJ-through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National
Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF)-is the designated lead in responding to these threats.
FBI Cyber Investigations
The FBI pursues cybercrime cases ranging from computer hacking and intellectual property rights
violations to child exploitation, fraud, and identity theft. Its top cyber priorities involve combating
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN11257
GRS }NStGHT
Prepaed for Membeivs and
Cornm ittees o4 Cor~qress ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/govcavq0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
What Is HeinOnline?
Contact us for annual subscription options:
Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?
profiles profiles most
Contact us for annual subscription options:
Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?
profiles profiles most
Contact us for annual subscription options:
Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?
profiles profiles most