Singapore's healthcare sector was the top sector targeted during Covid-19, and suffered a 182-fold surge in phishing attacks from January to April 2020, compared to the same period last year. 

The spike of attacks is not surprising, and relentless cyber attacks are expected to persist. The pandemic has put potential victims in a much vulnerable state of mind which cyber actors easily exploit through social engineering tactics. Social distancing measures have also brought about a growing dependence on smart medical devices and equipment which poses greater risk, especially if devices are inadequately secured.

Lee Shih Yen, Senior Vice President of Ensign Labs, weighs in on the subject, “It’s really back to basics to deal with this new wave of attacks.” He recommends greater attention to 3 key areas:

• • Medical devices and wearables must address HIPAA’s compliance requirements
• • Identity management and external device authentication via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) system to accurately verify patients and health providers
• • Security training and awareness for patients using virtual medicine