There have been a lot of discussions recently surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. While this discussion is warranted, this has also caused people to take a closer look at whether or not a different type of pandemic might be on the horizon. This is called a cyber pandemic. There are plenty of people even in the government who have warned against the possibility of cyber pandemic as early as 2013. Even the Secretary of Homeland Security at the time warned that the United States, at some point, is going to face a cyber pandemic that has the potential to impact people's everyday lives.

During the past few years, the predictions of a coming cyber pandemic have largely started to fade. This has largely been because people have simply been preoccupied. There have been more immediate issues to attend to, including the current pandemic, and there has been a lot of news regarding new cybersecurity tech advances that have reached the open market, causing people to feel safe. Now, with the current pandemic in full swing, the attention paid to a potential cyber pandemic has been renewed. This has caused many people to wonder whether a cyber pandemic is coming.

For those who might not know, a cyber pandemic is a term used to describe a massive virtual attack that has the potential to take numerous networks offline at the same time. The consequences of a cyber pandemic could be massive. First, companies might have their sensitive data leaked all over the world, possibly sending the entire sector into a tailspin. Next, many people could be victims of identity theft because their information is stolen and used against them. Finally, there could also be a massive ransomware attack that locks up many time-sensitive industries, including hospitals. Clearly, the consequences of such an attack could be tremendous for a healthcare system that is already feeling the strain of COVID-19.

There is a confluence of major events taking place in society. In addition to the current viral pandemic, there have been numerous protests against police brutality. The entire world has also gone virtual, meaning that the internet is seeing more use today than it ever has in the past. The result is that the world is more connected than ever before. This also makes the world more vulnerable. More people using the internet means there is more to defend than there has been in the past. This could make it easier for criminals to use malware to take down networks. This is why there has been a tremendous amount of attention paid to the potential of a cyber pandemic. It is important for everyone to be prepared for this possibility.