Abstract
Humans are adapting to and increasingly relying on technology particularly in times of global crisis. As online audiences increase, so does the risk of cybercrime. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is discussed in the context of health anxiety, the infodemic and cyberchondria, along with cybercriminal exploitation of pandemic-induced human anxiety and psychological vulnerability. Health anxiety, uncertainty, social isolation, changes to work-life practices, information seeking, mistrust of public health organisations, and the spread of false information all arguably intersect – leading to a global state of human vulnerability and therefore presenting opportunities for cybercriminals. There is a requirement for global agencies such as the United Nations, the WHO, INTERPOL, and governments to take action. Police agencies worldwide need to extrapolate learnings regarding the current pandemic and attendant increase in cybercrime and based on those findings move to form a global coalition with industry partners to investigate, predict, and prevent a potential future cybercrime pandemic.
TopIntroduction
The global online audience is currently estimated to be over five billion (Internet World Stats, 2021). Humans are adapting to and relying on technology more than ever before, using the Internet daily for shopping, connectivity, communication, work, entertainment, and, importantly, for information. Whilst the benefits of technology are well established, accessibility to certain content online and associated engagement can present risk of harm. As online audiences increase, so does the prevalence of cybercrime and attacks in cyberspace. This chapter will consider health anxiety and cyberchondria in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with cybercriminal exploitation of pandemic induced human anxiety and associated psychological vulnerability.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Cyberchondriacal: of or affected by cyberchondria.
Cyberchondria: A pattern of excessive health-based search behaviours that are likely to increase health anxiety or distress, heightened by the ever-increasing access to technology use and the Internet specifically.
Infodemic: An infodemic is too much information, including false or misleading information, in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak.
Cybercrime: Any crime that is facilitated or committed using a computer, network, or hardware device.
Coronavirus: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.