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Overview: A Shift From Conventional Crimes During The Lockdown

Jun. 16, 2020   •   Architi Batra

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused many countries to go for a complete or a partial lockdown and there is a growing trend towards “work-from-home” in all sectors of the economy across the globe, in whatever way possible. Everything we do has become digital and the avenues for attacks have become virtual. With the current panic everywhere, people have started to use this fear as their business opportunity.

THE RISE IN CYBER CRIMES

Corporate entities have started working on devices from their homes which lack the adequate level of firewall and security required for processing the massive amount of proprietary corporate data every day. The security standards of Wi-Fi systems at our homes is also amateurish which makes the whole setup of working from home very vulnerable to cyber attacks in various forms. This has caused cybersecurity concerns all over the world. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned about suspicious email messages attempting to take advantage of the COVID-19 emergency by stealing money and sensitive information from the public. (1)

The fear and panic among the people due to the outbreak have further influenced the cybercriminals to conduct email scams, phishing and ransomware attacks. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also warned that cybercrime in the EU has increased due to the coronavirus outbreak. (2) The malware can cause DDoS attacks, take screenshots, execute scripts, collect passwords, and even steal bitcoin wallets. The most critical being the “ransomware” where a large amount of data, especially that of hospitals is encrypted and a large ransom is demanded to restore it. In addition to this, there is already a surge in phishing campaigns that aim to steal money and personal information of the users.

Various forwarded messages and emails cause the people to open malicious attachments by offering “genuine” information related to the COVID-19 situation, like a cure for the issue but contain malicious files in the form of links, pdf, mp4 or Docx files. According to Trend Micro, a cybersecurity company, these attacks include email spam, business email compromise (BEC), malware, ransomware, and malicious domains. (3)

The hackers have also become inventive with instincts of malicious intentions of hacking into devices and stealing data and thus, employers need to prepare employees who are unaccustomed to remote working to navigate the challenges involved. An educational framework to teach staff how to identify and avoid risks and tackle security issues can raise awareness and help everyone to steer clear from such mishappenings. This will also avoid data loss prevention processes and protect their reputation going forward.

Given the rising incidents of cybercrime in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, the European network of Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) has raised the level of alert asking telecom operators to take adequate steps to increase resilience. (4) Management and IT professions also need to play a proactive role in regards to this by incorporating principles such as,

● The sensitive systems and data should have restricted access with the right to access and review only to essential members.

● Work devices should encrypt data wherever possible and protect data on the device if it is lost or stolen.

ISSUES REGARDING TRADITIONAL CRIMES

With the complete movement around the world restricted, many areas have already seen recorded crime drop by as much as 20%. (5) A potential target, whether a person or an object for an offender is completely guarded these days in their respective homes. The change in movements has caused a change in the distribution of crime opportunities.

The vulnerable public spaces such as parks and parking areas are empty which has caused the harassment and theft rates to go down sharply. There is no chance of domestic burglary and car thefts with people guarding their homes as well as their locality all the time. There is no opportunity for accidents as such with lesser vehicles on the road comparatively. A sharp decline of drug offences has also been noticed worldwide. There has been a decline in arrests related to chain snatching, mugging etc. since the movement of offenders as well as victims have considerably reduced to just necessary visits to the grocery and medical stores.

However, homes have also been noticed as vulnerable spaces for child sexual abuse, domestic violence and the rates in these crimes increased. With alcohol available via shops or online delivery systems, violence and abuse has also been triggered in various areas.

A very new dimension in crime is the stealing of masks and other necessary medical equipment for black marketing in such troubling times. In India, a pharmacist was arrested for stealing N95 masks worth Rs. 35000(6) and Israel’s Mossad Admits to Stealing Face Masks, Medical Supplies amid Global Shortage (7).

CONCLUSION

The role of cybersecurity companies at this moment is significant and one must prevent anomalous cyber activities. In the prevalent situation, a cyberattack can make things extremely unfavourable. The rise in domestic violence and child abuse must be looked into on priority basis by authorities and NGOs must come to the rescue.

Madri Chandak, a student of Hidayatullah National Law University is in her second year and has a keen interest in the economic and commercial aspects of the law.

Disclaimer: This article is an original submission of the Author. Niti Manthan does not hold any liability arising out of this article. Kindly refer to our Terms of use or write to us in case of any concerns.


  1. James Gathany, UN Health Agency warms against Coronavirus COVID 19 criminal scams, UN News, (Apr. 17, 2020, 2:16 PM), https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/02/1058381
  2. Elena Sanchez Nicolas, Cybercrimes rises during Coronavirus pandemic, EUObserver, (Apr. 17, 2020, 1:32 PM), https://euobserver.com/coronavirus/147869
  3. Dqindia Online, Cybercrimes surge in the Coronavirus Era, DataQuest, (Apr. 17, 2020, 4:20 PM), https://www.dqindia.com/cyber-crimes-surge-coronavirus-era/
  4. Dqindia Online, Cybercrimes surge in the Coronavirus Era, DataQuest, (Apr. 17, 2020, 3:26 PM), https://www.dqindia.com/cyber-crimes-surge-coronavirus-era/
  5. Vikram Dodd, Helen Pidd, Coronavirus crisis leads to a steep drop in recorded crime, The Guardian, (Apr. 17, 2020, 11:32 AM), https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/mar/26/coronavirus-crisis-leads-to-precipitous-drop-in-recorded#maincontent
  6. Coronavirus in India: Pharmacist arrested for stealing N95 masks worth Rs 35000, The Hindu Business Line, ( Apr. 17, 2020, 2:43 PM), https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/coronavirus-in-india-pharmacist-arrested-for-stealing-n95-masks-worth-rs-35000/article31022485.ece
  7. Al- Araby Al- Jadeed, Israel's Mossad admits to stealing face masks, The Palestine Chronicle, (Apr. 17,2020, 5:32 PM),https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israels-mossad-admits-to-stealing-face-masks-medical-supplies-amid-global-shortage/

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