'Action Required: Department of Health Invitation (COVID-19 Contact Tracing)' Email Virus

Australian companies and users are being targeted by a new spam campaign that exploits the popularity of the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver a corrupted file to the targets of the hackers. The email claims to come from the Australian Government Department of Health, and may sometimes be referred to as the 'Australian Government Department of Health' email virus. The email's subject is 'Action Required: Department of Health Invitation (COVID-19 Contact Tracing)' and it aims tofool users into thinking that they have to perform an urgent COVID-19 test due to a high number of positive cases in their area. The email carries on by saying that everything regarding the mandatory test can be found in the file attachment titled 'Document.iso.' Needless to say, this is not a valid and trustworthy email attachment and, instead, it will launch an unsafe program on the compromised system.

Unfortunately, the malware that the 'Action Required: Department of Health Invitation (COVID-19 Contact Tracing)' email virus delivers is a very unsafe one – cybersecurity researchers have identified the payload to be the NanoCore RAT, a high-profile Remote Access Trojan that can provide its operator with unlimited access to the infected system. Needless to say, this is a vital security concern since the attackers will be able to collect files, login credential and manipulate the system's behavior.

Cybercriminals Continue to Abuse the 'COVID-19' Subject

COVID-19-themed phishing emails have become the number one trend among cybercriminals in the past few months, and we advise you to be extra careful whenever you interact with online content related to the pandemic. Make sure to avoid downloading files from non-trustworthy sources, and never believe emails that claim to come from a respected government body or institution – cybercriminals often try to present themselves as a legitimate organization to gain the trust of their victims.

If you receive an email titled 'Action Required: Department of Health Invitation (COVID-19 Contact Tracing)', then you should know that it is an elaborate attempt to trick you into infecting your computer with a threatening piece of malware such as the NanoCore RAT.