## 5 Discussion
### Denial of Service (DoS)  
DoS attack is defined as a malicious attempt to interfere with the server or network, temporarily interrupting the services of the system and making it unavailable for the user [91]. DoS attacks target the technical system and are therefore classified as technology-related cybersecurity challenges in the STS system. Recent studies have highlighted the increase in cybersecurity challenges due to DoS and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks across various industries amidst major recent crises [8; 9; 92]. Participants revealed that there were major communication disruptions due to DoS during major crises. [PERSON] mentioned, _\"Yes, our organization suffered from this attack last year. We were unable to connect to our central server at that time which created a lot of issues\"_. However, recent studies have highlighted that during the hybrid mode of working, DoS and DDoS attacks were reported in small companies [9; 93]. However, the study by [PERSON] and [PERSON] is a conceptual study, while [PERSON] et al. 's [93] study focusses exclusively on reporting DDoS attacks in small entrepreneurs. This study has extended the literature by revealing DoS attacks as major technical cybersecurity challenges amidst major crises in the HERS exclusively by quoting real incidents by participants in Table 2.  
**Eavesdropping Attack**  
An eavesdropping attack is defined as an attack in which a hacker deletes or modifies the data transmitted between two devices. It is also known as sniffing and snooping [94]. The attack on the technical systems, servers, and equipment is studied under the technical subsystem in an STS system [24]. Therefore, the attack has been categorized under technology-related cybersecurity issues. Research studies have highlighted hijacking, DNS snooping, and cache spoofing as major cloud attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic that break down the systems through network connections [95]. Another study has pointed out eavesdropping attacks through security surveillance devices during the recent crisis [96]. The current study findings have confirmed and extended the literature by revealing eavesdropping attack scenarios that happened amidst major crises in the HERS. R031 revealed that _\"Its like an attack when hacker interrupts your system. So, yes hacker manages to get our IT support email passwords and was manipulating the emails being send by our support persons. So, yes this was a big issue. You can say technical cyberattack.\"_  
**Malicious Attack**  
Malicious attacks are defined as any type of malicious software designed to cause harm or damage to a server, client, or computer network [97]. The malicious attack is usually performed on the software of the organization and, in the literature, software-related issues directly involve the technical subsystem in an STS system [23; 58]. Several studies have reported an increase in malware attacks during the recent crisis in healthcare, financial, and other service industries [19; 98; 99]. A research study highlighted that hackers are taking advantage of recent crises and spreading malware through official websites [19]. The current empirical study confirms the literature by revealing malicious attacks as one of the significant technical cybersecurity challenges amidst the major crisis in the HERS. R027 stated that _\"a malicious attacker hacked our support chatbot app and took control of it and left silly messages\"_. **Man-in-the-Middle Attack**  
A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack is defined as altering the conversation between the user and the application or system being used [100]. Research studies have reported that due to the hybrid mode of working during the recent crisis and unsecured home networks, the frequency of MITM attacks has increased [101; 102]. The current study empirically confirms the literature by reporting MITM attack incidents as major technical cybersecurity issues amidst a major crisis in the HERS.