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Cybercrime and terrorism profit off pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is being exploited to radicalize would-be terrorists and to target vulnerable networks used by hospitals and healthcare systems.

,   and  John Heilprin
2 min read
An officer with the U.K.'s National Crime Agency triages a seized computer for evidence of criminal activity
An officer with the U.K.'s National Crime Agency triages a seized computer for evidence of criminal activity (AN/NCA)

UNITED NATIONS (AN) — The COVID-19 pandemic is being exploited to radicalize would-be terrorists and to target vulnerable computer networks used by hospitals and health care systems around the world, the U.N. counterterrorism chief said on Thursday.

Phishing websites, many targeting hospitals and health care systems, spiked by 350% during the first quarter of this year, Vladimir Voronkov, a Russian diplomat and undersecretary-general of the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism, or UNOCT, told the U.N. Security Council.

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Science & Technology — Austria — Egypt — Global Issues — International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) — Russia — U.N. Office of Counterterrorism (UNOCT) — U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) — U.N. Security Council (UNSC) — United Nations (U.N.)

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