World Health Organisation reports five-fold increase in cyber attacks

Geneva : The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the number of cyber attacks against it was now more than five timesof that directed at the UN body in the same period last year.

Saying in a statement issued Thursday, the WHO said thatthis week, some 450 active organization email addresses and passwords wereleaked online along with thousands belonging to others working on the novelcoronavirus response, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The leaked credentials did not put WHO systems at riskbecause the data was not recent. However, the attack did impact an olderextranet system, used by current and retired staff as well as partners,"it said.

The organisation said that it was now migrating affectedsystems to a more secure authentication system.WHO said that scammers impersonating in its emails have alsoincreasingly targeted the general public in order to channel donations to afictitious fund and not the authentic COVID-19 Solidary Response Fund.

WHO asks the public to remain vigilant against fraudulentemails and recommends the use of reliable sources to obtain factual informationabout COVID-19 and other health issues.