System security expert, McAfee, released its second quarter report on cybercrime campaigns around the world. The firm says it counted 419 cyber threats per minute, with the number of new malware samples increasing 11.5 percent over the first quarter of 2020.

The report also highlights how cybercriminals have exploited Covid pandemic issues and the increase in remote working, reporting an over 600 precent increase in Covid-related attacks in the second quarter when compared to the first quarter. In particular, the increased use of email communication and cloud use prompted a dramatic surge in phishing campaign attacks focused on cloud accounts.

Microsoft Office 365, a dominant figure in remote working, is a prime target for cybercriminals. Malware attacks designed to exploit PowerShell, a powerful Windows scripting language, increased 117 percent, according to McAfee. External attacks on cloud accounts reached almost 7.5 million. IANS "McAfee detects 419 new cyber threats per minute as malware samples rise" www.iol.co.za (Nov. 5, 2020).