Introduction
COVID-19 has profoundly affected cybercrime and Society. This period saw a huge rise in spam and phishing. Though necessary for public safety, this change gave attackers new vulnerabilities and new targets for spam and phishing. Cybercrime victims grew as more people used online forums and virtual communication methods. The Canadian Anti-Spam Law defines unsolicited mail as commercial digital communications without authorization. Phishing, on the other hand, targets private data by seeming trustworthy. Before COVID-19, phishing and spam were significant challenges. This research aims to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the frequency of cyber offenses and investigate the criminological theory that underlies this occurrence. We will pay particular attention to the rational choice theory and its applicability to comprehending cybercriminals’ incentives and thought processes in phishing and spam campaigns.
Cybercrime and the Theory of Rational Choice
The rational choice theory, a prominent criminological angle, posits that people interact in criminal activities after weighing the capability benefits against the risks and prices associated with their movements. This theory shows that people make rational selections based on their perceived possibilities, capacity rewards, and the probability of being stuck and punished. In the context of cybercrime, the rational desire concept implies that cybercriminals interact in activities with spam distribution and phishing attacks after carefully considering the capacity, blessings, and dangers involved (Yar & Steinmetz, 2019). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the accelerated reliance on virtual communication and online platforms supplied cybercriminals with new opportunities and ability rewards.
As more people and corporations transitioned to online interactions, the pool of capacity goals for unsolicited mail and phishing assaults accelerated notably. This opened a way to increase cybercrimes as they would get a larger target audience to take advantage of. Over 19,000 COVID-19-related cyber threats and scams have been registered to the CAFC since March 2020, with victims losing $7.26M (Canada, 2022). Cyber threats and scams include fake Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) applications, spoofed government, healthcare, or research information, unsolicited calls, phishing emails and texts requesting urgent action or payment, and fraudulent medical advice and cures. The research also notes a rise in COVID-19-related phony email and website addresses. The NC3 and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre searched for and blocked COVID-19-related websites and email addresses to help police discover and stop them. This Canadian-linked operation added 4,700 domains to the NC3 between May 2020 and August 2020.
Cybercriminals, in all likelihood, perceived these pandemic-triggered situations as favorable for their activities, as the benefits were viewed as greater than the costs and hazards. The disruptions caused by the pandemic might also have led cybercriminals to consider that people and corporations have been more prone and much less prepared to locate and respond to cyber threats, similarly tipping the weighing the chance against the benefit in choosing to finish these crimes (Interpol, 2020). Furthermore, the pandemic-induced disruptions and uncertainties may have contributed to heightened emotional states and vulnerabilities among individuals, making them more prone to phishing attempts and scams.
According to the rational choice theory, people, including cybercriminals, make decisions by balancing the costs and hazards of a certain course of action against the possible rewards or benefits. Cybercriminals will commit illegal activities such as spam distribution and phishing attacks if they believe the potential rewards outweigh the risks. Several significant factors may have changed the risk-reward equation during the COVID-19 pandemic, favoring hackers in their efforts to conduct more phishing and spam activities.
Cybercriminals probably took advantage of the public’s increased anxieties, fears, and need for knowledge regarding the pandemic. They significantly raised the perceived benefits of their phishing assaults by skillfully crafting false communications that purported to be COVID-19 updates, relief fund information, or another pandemic-related enticement (Abroshan et al., 2021). Amidst the complex pandemic circumstances, people were more open to falling for these scams and emotionally vulnerable.
The pandemic compelled a sudden and significant transition to telecommuting and digital interactions between industries, greatly expanding the number of possible targets and attack surfaces available to hackers (Al & Cresci, 2022). Due to the abrupt changes, more people and companies are operating online, which may make them less secure against cyberattacks. As a result, cybercriminals probably saw considerably greater rewards from running extensive spam/phishing campaigns that targeted this expanding digital landscape.
Simultaneously, the significant upheavals and stresses brought about by COVID-19 in various countries would have encouraged cyber criminals to reasonably evaluate the likelihood of being detected and the repercussions as being rather low compared to typical circumstances. Cybercriminals felt less of a risk of prosecution during the crisis because law enforcement and security resources were stretched.
Thus, a fundamental principle of rational choice theory is that people, such as cybercriminals, constantly reassess the pros and cons of their options in light of shifting environmental conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic produced an environment in which the perceived risks may have been viewed as lower than usual, which incentivized more cybercriminals to logically ramp up these malicious activities during this unprecedented period. The potential benefits of spam/phishing activities (taking advantage of pandemic fears and surfacing more digital targets) were significantly amplified.
Connections to COVID-19 Pandemic, Rational Choice Theory, and Spam/Phishing Distribution
The COVID-19 pandemic created unique circumstances that aligned remarkably well with rational choice theory. The theory probably influenced the choice-making strategies of cybercriminals engaged in junk mail and phishing to incentivize those criminal activities. The pandemic included mandatory lockdowns and stay-at-home orders that dramatically increased far-flung work and online interactions across numerous sectors, from businesses to education and healthcare (Jafar Mousa Tayseer et al., 2022). This shift to a heavily digitized environment expanded the pool of potential targets for unsolicited mail and phishing attacks. Furthermore, the pandemic heightened fear, uncertainty, and anxiety among people, putting them more at risk of misleading strategies exploiting those emotional vulnerabilities.
According to the rational choice theory, individuals (along with cybercriminals) make selections by weighing the potential benefits against the risks and costs of their moves. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the perceived benefits of carrying out spam and phishing activities likely multiplied drastically due to the accelerated pool of potential sufferers and their heightened emotional vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals might also have perceived the risks and costs of these crimes as decreasing than usual due to the disruptions resulting from the pandemic, which could have strained regulation enforcement sources and cybersecurity defenses.
Numerous studies and reports from cybersecurity businesses and regulation enforcement groups have documented a marked growth in spam and phishing attempts during the pandemic. To develop false communications and lures, cybercriminals actively targeted issues associated with pandemics (Alawida et al., 2022). These topics included COVID-19 data, relief funds, and health-related issues. Therefore, to carry out their harmful activities with tremendous success, they capitalized on the anxieties and uncertainties of the general population and increased their reliance on digital communication.
These connections provide valuable insights into cybercriminals’ motivations and selection tactics for the extraordinary COVID-19 epidemic. Cybercriminals saw situations where the benefits of doing illegal things were greater than the risks or costs. These included increased vulnerability because of the fast shift to working from home, financial motivations stemming from economic problems, taking advantage of people’s fear and sense of urgency, the possibility of fewer police resources, and the idea that people can remain anonymous online (Hoheisel et al., 2023). Because of this, hackers had a reason to take advantage of the situation, which led to a rise in cybercrime during the pandemic.
Because of the pandemic and the opportunities brought about by the increased reliance on virtual communication, cybercriminals should have been encouraged to increase their spam and phishing efforts. By exploiting pandemic-related topics and leveraging public fears and uncertainties, they may increase their malicious activities’ benefits and likelihood of achievement (Winet & Winet, 2021). Understanding these connections is essential for growing effective prevention and mitigation techniques in opposition to cybercrime because it sheds light on the underlying motivations and decision-making approaches that force crook behavior in the digital realm, specifically at some stage in instances of disaster and uncertainty.
The CBC News article “Phishing messages surge as fraudsters exploit coronavirus fears” supports rational choice theory to explain the pandemic’s cybercrime surge. It shows how hackers quickly changed their phishing lures to exploit COVID-19 anxieties and wants for information, enhancing their perceived benefits and success rates by preying on emotional weaknesses (Daigle, 2020). The unprecedented shift to remote digital interactions expanded the pool of potential victims. It raised concerns about strained cybersecurity resources lowering deterrence, which would have rationally incentivized more cybercriminals to increase malicious activities according to rational choice theory’s risk-reward calculations. The theory’s ongoing re-evaluations driving cost-benefit criminal decision-making is shown by cybercriminals adapting to persuasive current events and circumstances.
Prevention and Control Measures
To address the surge in unsolicited mail and phishing attempts at some point in the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate the related risks, various prevention and management measures may be implemented, which are:
Cybersecurity Awareness and Education
Raising awareness among people and corporations about the extended risks of spam, phishing, and other cyber threats during the pandemic is crucial. Educating users on a way to become aware of and avoid falling for these scams, in addition to implementing satisfactory practices for cybersecurity, can appreciably lessen their vulnerability (Alawida et al., 2022). Companies must have cybersecurity knowledge programs and awareness upgrade programs to improve their overall security knowledge, enabling employees to identify and deal with threats correctly. Targeted messages could be valuable in encouraging people to be more cautious about junk mail and scams, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
Strengthened Email and Web Filtering
Organizations and service companies should decorate their electronic mail and web filtering systems to come across and block unsolicited mail, phishing attempts, and malicious links or attachments. Advanced device-gaining knowledge of algorithms and hazard intelligence sharing can enhance the effectiveness of these filtering mechanisms (Samarthrao & Rohokale, 2022). Email filtering structures may be configured to discover and quarantine messages containing recognized phishing signs. In contrast, web filtering solutions can block access to recognized malicious or compromised websites. These solutions must leverage machine-learning fashions educated on large datasets to stumble on new and evolving threats.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Implementing multi-aspect authentication (MFA) for critical structures and accounts can protect against unauthorized admission, even though credentials are compromised through phishing assaults (Hossein Abroshan et al., 2021). MFA calls for customers to offer a couple of forms of authentication, making it extra challenging for cybercriminals to take advantage of access to accounts or systems. Organizations need to mandate MFA, especially for those accessing sensitive statistics or systems. At the same time, carrier companies and online structures should inspire or require MFA for their customers.
Regular Software Updates and Patching
Keeping software and structures up-to-date with today’s security patches and updates can help mitigate vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may use to distribute malware or gain unauthorized access (Al & Cresci, 2022). Software providers and developers must prioritize releasing security updates and patches, even as organizations and people should ensure regular updates are applied. Automated software program replacement mechanisms can streamline this process, decreasing the risk of exploited vulnerabilities.
Incident Response and Reporting
Establishing robust incident response protocols and inspiring the reporting of suspected spam, phishing tries, or cyber threats can be helpful in well-timed detection, mitigation, and investigation of these incidents (Winet & Winet, 2021). Organizations must develop comprehensive incident response plans outlining steps to identify, incorporate, and document threats. Clear reporting channels must be mounted for employees and clients to document suspected incidents, enabling evaluation of patterns and developments. Collaboration with regulation enforcement and cybersecurity companies also can aid in sharing intelligence and coordinating investigations.
International Cooperation and Law Enforcement Efforts
Collaboration among regulation enforcement groups, cybersecurity businesses, and international bodies is vital in preventing the global nature of cybercrime. Sharing intelligence, coordinating investigations, and strengthening prison frameworks can assist in disrupting and prosecuting cybercriminal networks (Al & Cresci, 2022). International cooperation and statistics sharing can be a resource in figuring out and monitoring cybercriminals while harmonizing prison frameworks and extradition treaties, which can facilitate pass-border investigations and prosecutions.
Continuous Adaptation and Research
Cybercriminals’ methods change; thus, prevention and control must be studied and adjusted. In the ever-changing cybercrime landscape, investing in cybersecurity studies and being educated about new threats and mitigation methods will help companies succeed (Alawida et al., 2022). Academic, industrial, and government collaborations can enhance knowledge and create new solutions. Cybercrime prevention requires constant adaption and research funding. Spam and phishing attacks increased during the COVID-19 epidemic, but such preventative and control methods can reduce them. However, fighting cybercrime requires technology solutions, prison systems, global cooperation, and continual surveillance (Hoheisel et al., 2023). A comprehensive and coordinated effort is needed to address the changing threat landscape and protect people, corporations, and societies against cybercrime.
Employee Training and Policies
Comprehensive worker education applications are critical for coaching workers’ teams to understand and reply to phishing tries correctly. Training should cover topics such as spotting phishing emails, managing suspicious attachments or hyperlinks, and reporting incidents via the proper channels. Simulated phishing sports activities can enhance training and verify worker vulnerability (Alawida et al., 2022). Clear cybersecurity policies should additionally be implemented, outlining the applicable use of email and the net and providing facts to cope with strategies. Incident response plans must include steps for reporting suspected threats and description escalation protocols. Fostering a subculture of cybersecurity interest via regular education and properly defined policies can help mitigate human mistakes, a typical entry issue for phishing assaults.
Network Segmentation and Access Controls
The network segmentation process entails dividing the community into smaller zones or segments according to safety standards and obtaining the right of admission to tiers. Separating essential systems and data from non-essential components reduces the likelihood that malicious software or unauthorized access will be distributed (Interpol, 2020). Robust can obtain sufficient access to controls, including position-based total access manipulation, multi-component authentication, and the majority of minor privilege ideas, and it restricts unauthorized entry to sensitive possessions.
Strategies for Backup and Recovery
When mitigating the effects of successful cyberattacks related to phishing, a comprehensive backup and recovery strategy is necessary. A crucial requirement is to regularly create backups of essential data, settings, and structures and perform regular checks to ensure the backups are complete and accurate. Backup data must be maintained securely, with appropriate access controls and physical security measures in place (Samarthrao & Rohokale, 2022). If a phishing attack or malware infection is successful, a recovery plan that has been thoroughly studied helps organizations restore structures and data from confirmed authentic backups rapidly. This reduces the time the organization is down and minimizes lost or corrupted records.
Information Exchange and Threat Intelligence
Groups can get up-to-date information on new threats and indicators of compromise (IOCs) and be encouraged to develop mitigation plans by participating in chance intelligence-sharing programs and working with cybersecurity companies (Al & Cresci, 2022). Using this intelligence, security measures can be updated, change detection techniques can be kept up to date, and new phishing campaigns and strategies may be avoided. It is possible for information-sharing platforms, such as those provided by government agencies or employer organizations, to promote the sharing of threat reports, assessments, and best practices among participating entities. This can result in a more coordinated and efficient response to challenging cybersecurity concerns.
Assessments and web application security checks
For this cause, checkout of system hacks and leakage points by conducting regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessment is very important. Penetration testing employs an attack model that comprises how a genuine attack would play out to obtain real-world entry points and email phishing (Yar & Steinmetz, 2019). In vulnerability checks, scanners look for areas in the networks, configurations, and packages where hackers might exploit such flaws. Through passive detection and elimination of the vulnerabilities within the attack surface, businesses can reduce the risks associated with these attacks and eliminate their attack surface.
Conclusion
Taking steps to stop and manage spam and phishing efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic is very important to lower the risks that come with them. These include raising awareness and training about cybersecurity, strengthening email and web filtering, requiring multi-factor authentication, regularly updating software, setting up strong incident response protocols, encouraging law enforcement agencies worldwide to work together, and conducting ongoing research into new threats. Cybercriminals got new chances to make money during the pandemic, but it also showed how important strong cybersecurity defenses are and the ability to change. By using rational choice theory and implementing efficient defenses, we may better protect individuals, organizations, and Society from the repercussions of cybercrimes such as spam, phishing, and other online behavior. This can be accomplished by analyzing why cybercriminals engage in illegal activities.
References
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