Cyber Threat Bulletin: Impact of COVID-19 on Cyber Threats to the Health Sector

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a global pandemic. In a previous Cyber Threat Bulletin, we assessed that cyber threat actors have taken advantage of this context to conduct a range of cyber threat activities. The health sector—which we define as including public health institutions, hospitals and other front-line medical providers, research organizations, and pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies—is being targeted by both cyber criminals and state-sponsored cyber threat actors. The Cyber Centre assesses that in Canada and many other countries health sector organizations almost certainly face increased threats to their cyber security due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Additional Info

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Last Updated April 17, 2026, 17:54 (UTC)
Created April 17, 2026, 17:54 (UTC)
contact_email opengov-gouvouvert@cse-cst.gc.ca
criticality_level []
geographic_scope []
open_canada_collection publication
open_canada_date_published 2020-06-25 00:00:00
open_canada_keywords {"fr": ["bulletin sur les menaces", "COVID-19", "pandémie de la COVID-19", "cybersécurité", "établissements de santé publique"], "en": ["threat bulletin", "covid-19", "covid-19 pandemic", "cybersecurity", "public health institutions"]}
open_canada_subject ["government_and_politics", "health_and_safety", "information_and_communications"]
sensitivity_level unrestricted
title_fr Bulletin sur les cybermenaces : Incidence de la COVID-19 sur les activités de cybermenaces
update_frequency not_planned