MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. The number of cyberattacks and phishing messages containing malware soared in Russia during the coronavirus pandemic, the deputy chief of the National Coordination Center for Computer Incidents, Nikolai Murashov, said.
"The pandemic contributed to tensions in the cyberspace. There have been ever more frequent attacks against poorly protected distance access channels, as well as attempts to use vulnerabilities in computer software that users employ in the process of distance work. Amid the pandemic the number of distributed attacks against the IT resources of government and educational establishments grew," Murashov told the Infoforum 2021 conference on Thursday.
The main purpose of such attacks was to upset the operation of IT resources and block access required for remote work.
"The information background that emerged amid the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to an increase in the amount of phishing messages containing malware, sent to Russian organizations. The main purpose of such attacks was obtaining access to confidential information, personal data and credit card numbers," Murashov added.
In this context a government-run system for the identification, prevention and elimination of consequences of cyberattacks continued to be deployed. The list of its subscribers tripled in 2020. This allowed preventing attacks against many crucial infrastructure facilities, including some in other states.
"It is noteworthy that 2020 saw quite a few such attempts," Murashov said.