Ransomware encrypts or steals data to disrupt operations and extort victims, making backups, access controls, and incident response essential.
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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.
The US Department of State is offering up to $15 million for information that helps identify and locate leadership and co-conspirators of the infamous Conti ransomware gang. [...]
The US Department of State is offering up to $15 million for information that helps identify and locate leadership and co-conspirators of the infamous Conti ransomware gang. [...]
Ransomware operations continue to evolve, with new groups appearing and others quietly shutting down their operations or rebranding as new groups. [...]
AGCO, a leading US-based agricultural machinery producer, has announced it was hit by a ransomware attack impacting some of its production facilities. [...]
Several ransomware strains have been linked to APT38, a North Korean-sponsored hacking group known for its focus on targeting and stealing funds from financial institutions worldwide. [...]
Hackers commonly exploit vulnerabilities in corporate networks to gain access, but a researcher has turned the table by finding exploits in the most common ransomware and malware being distributed today. [...]
The notorious REvil ransomware operation has returned amidst rising tensions between Russia and the USA, with new infrastructure and a modified encryptor allowing for more targeted attacks. [...]