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.
ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware operators have used their leak site to "set the record straight" about the MGM Resorts cyberattack. Meanwhile, more attacks abusing Okta could be likely.
Ransomware becoming less of a factor as threat actors extort businesses with payment options that are less than regulatory fines.
The Russian-speaking ransomware gang continues to update its tactics while managing to steal highly sensitive information from its victims.
In a notable shift in strategy, the threat actors are abusing code-signing certificates to spread a double whammy of infostealers and ransomware payloads.
The ransomware group is a collection of young adults, and also recently breached Caesars Entertainment and made a ransom score in the tens of millions range.
Nothing good happens after 2 a.m., they say, especially when hackers have two kinds of ransomware at their disposal.
The operators of the Rhysida ransomware-as-a-service have claimed credit for a crippling attack on Mississippi's Singing River health system.
Vital medical equipment was unaffected, but attackers stole and leaked lots of personal data.
Hospitality behemoth struggles to recover following a Sunday cyber incident that looks a lot like a ransomware attack.