The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cybercrime

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is accompanied by a cyber pandemic, involving changes in the modi operandi of perpetrators of various crimes, and an infodemic, associated with the spread of disinformation. The article analyses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cybercrime and presents the latest research on the number of cybercrime cases in Poland and their growth dynamics. It determines the factors that contribute to the commission of a crime and prevent easy identification of criminals. It also suggests the legal and organisational changes that could reduce the number and effects of the most frequently recorded cyberattacks at a time of COVID-19. Particular attention is paid to legal problems of the growing phenomenon of identity theft, and the need to ensure better protection of users from phishing, including through education and proactive security measures consisting in blocking Internet domains used for fraudulent attempts to obtain data and financial resources. © 2021 The Author(s).