Interpol Secretary-General Jürgen Stock warned in a statement that hospitals and medical organizations have become targets for cybercriminals looking to "profit from the sick."

"Blocking critical hospital systems would not only delay the rapid medical response needed at this unprecedented time, but could also cause deaths," said Stock.

Interpol, based in Lyon (eastern France), has indicated that it is providing technical assistance to countries to mitigate the impact and advise on how to protect medical organizations.

The main source of the attacks, he explained, is emails from alleged government agencies giving advice or information about the new coronavirus, asking them to click on a link or open an infected file.

The official encouraged hospitals and other companies to update their systems frequently and implement security measures, storing important files in the cloud or on external disks, separate from the main system.

Opening e-mails from trusted sources only, not clicking on 'links' sent in e-mails that are not expected or from unknown senders, frequently creating copies, updating the antivirus system, using strong passwords and updating them frequently are some of Interpol's recommendations.

"The Cyber ??Threat Response group is following virtual threats related to covid-19 and working with its private cybersecurity partners to gather information and support target organizations," he said.