Also today: Zoom settles a privacy investigation with regulators; the FBI warns that programs’ source codes are being stolen; and a medical center in Vermont begins restoring services after a cyberattack in October.

Election Spam

Hackers continue to take advantage of election-related anxiety to launch cyberattacks by email at greater volumes than would usually be expected, security companies say.

Fraudulent emails that attempt to lure users into clicking on links that deliver ransomware and other viruses are often designed around current affairs, such as the coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters and elections. They usually pose as authorities, or say the emails include attachments that promise new information, but which are actually infected with malware.

The number of attacks related to this year’s U.S. presidential election and launched since Election Day on Nov. 3 has been markedly higher than normal, said Sherrod DeGrippo, senior director of threat research and detection at Proofpoint Inc., a cybersecurity company that specializes in email protection.

“While we have seen this kind of activity during past events, this year the volumes and social-engineering lures are more persistent and in higher volumes,” Ms. DeGrippo said. “As long as uncertainty exists around the election—including any attempts to widely sow distrust in the electoral process—we will likely see actors use these themes in their lures.”

While many hackers send out vast numbers of…