Ransomware encrypts or steals data to disrupt operations and extort victims, making backups, access controls, and incident response essential.
Search across headline titles and summaries.
Background for this topic.
Ransomware is malware used to deny access to systems or data, usually by encrypting files and demanding payment for decryption. Many operations also steal sensitive information and threaten to publish it, so an attack can create both an availability crisis and a privacy or disclosure risk. Initial access may involve phishing, stolen credentials, exposed remote services, or exploitation of unpatched vulnerabilities; attackers may then move through the network before deploying the payload.
Defenses should combine vulnerability management, phishing-resistant authentication where practical, endpoint and network monitoring, and backups that are isolated from routine administrator access and regularly tested for recovery. Organizations should also limit privileges and segment critical systems to reduce the blast radius. An incident requires rapid containment, preservation of forensic evidence, restoration from known-good backups, and assessment of notification, legal, and regulatory obligations. Threat intelligence can help identify relevant criminal infrastructure or tactics, but it does not replace sound access control, patching, detection, and recovery practices.
Police Take Down 300 Servers Worldwide, Neutralize 650 DomainsLaw enforcement in a European-led operation against malware often used as a precursor to ransomware took down 300 servers worldwide, police said Friday. The crackdown is the latest action under Operation Endgame targeting ransomware and botnet ecosystem.
Police Take Down 300 Servers Worldwide, Neutralize 650 DomainsLaw enforcement in a European-led operation against malware often used as a precursor to ransomware took down 300 servers worldwide, police said Friday. The crackdown is the latest action under Operation Endgame targeting ransomware and botnet ecosystem.
Buyout Targets Deeper US Penetration, Digital Risk Intel, Ransomware DefenseCognyte’s $4 million buy of GroupSense boosts its North America strategy, enhancing its investigative analytics platform with deep and darkweb threat insights and access to U.S. government and enterprise customers. The deal will enhance Cognyte’s analytics platform and threat protection offerings.
Did Marlboro-Chesterfield Pathology Pay Cybercrime Gang Safepay a Ransom?A North Carolina pathology practice is notifying nearly 236,000 patients of a hacking incident discovered in January. Marlboro-Chesterfield Pathology says it "took steps" to ensure the hackers deleted its stolen data. Newcomer ransomware group Safepay is apparently the culprit in the attack.
Experts Pointing a Finger at Interlock Ransomware Gang for Kettering Health AttackOhio-based Kettering Health is in its second day responding to a cyberattack that's disrupted patient care services and downed its IT systems, including its patient portal and phones. Some cybersecurity insiders say Interlock ransomware is responsible.
Executive Director Bridget Bean on How Proactive Alerts Prevented $8.7B in DamagesAs state-sponsored threats become increasingly aggressive, CISA is scaling its proactive cyber defense efforts. Through real-time threat intelligence, joint task forces and pre-emptive alerts, it is shielding critical infrastructure from state-sponsored and ransomware-driven attacks.