There have been an estimated 4,000 cyberattacks in the United States every day since the pandemic started, according to MonsterCloud. (Photo: Dmytro Tyshchenko for Shutterstock.com) There have been an estimated 4,000 cyberattacks in the United States every day since the pandemic started, according to MonsterCloud. (Photo: Dmytro Tyshchenko for Shutterstock.com)

The nearly universal transition to a full-time remote workforce through the COVID-19 pandemic exponentially increased the 'attack surface' for cybercriminals in 2020.

According to a new report from Guidewire, FBI cybercrime reports quadrupled during the first phase of the pandemic. Phishing attacks spiked 350%, and ransomware demands exploded in 2020 as hackers took advantage of the pandemic and deployed increasingly sophisticated tactics against individuals, businesses, hospitals, and schools.

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Danielle Ling

Danielle Ling is an experienced video journalist and business reporter. As associate editor, Danielle manages all multimedia and reports on industry news and risk-related coverage, managing all weather-related content. A University of Maryland and Philip Merrill College of Journalism alum, Danielle previously served as a video journalist for Verizon FiOS 1 News NJ, Push Pause. Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].

Coverage & Policy Issues
Information Security
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Cybersecurity