Info Security Magazine
2 years ago
New Ransomware Group Phones Execs to Extort Payment
Researchers claim the Volcano Demon ransomware group personally phone victims to pressure them into paying
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Latest coverage for Ransomware
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.
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Dark Reading
2 years ago
Bay Area Credit Union Struggles to Recover After Ransomware Attack
Tens of thousands of Patelco customers remain without access to their accounts, with no estimates for when systems will be restored.
Krebs on Security
2 years ago
The Not-So-Secret Network Access Broker x999xx
Most accomplished cybercriminals go out of their way to separate their real names from their hacker handles. But among certain old-school Russian hackers it is not uncommon to find major players who have done little to prevent people from figuring out who they are in real life. A case study in this phenomenon is "x999xx," the nickname chosen by a venerated Russian hacker who specializes in providing the initial network access to various ransomware groups.
Dark Reading
2 years ago
Ransomware Eruption: Novel Locker Malware Flows From ‘Volcano Demon'
Attackers clear logs before exploitation and use "no caller ID" numbers to negotiate ransoms, complicating detection and forensics efforts.
Dark Reading
2 years ago
Ransomware Extortion Demands Soar to $5.2M per Attack
The highest ransom demanded by threat actors this year so far was nearly 20 times last year's average.
Info Security Magazine
2 years ago
New RUSI Report Exposes Psychological Toll of Ransomware, Urges Action
A new report reveals the hidden mental health toll of ransomware attacks on victims, urging a focus on well-being alongside data and system recovery
Dark Reading
2 years ago
South Africa National Healthcare Lab Still Reeling from Ransomware Attack
The cyberattack disrupted national laboratory services, which could slow response to disease outbreaks such as mpox, experts warn.
Dark Reading
2 years ago
Fintech Frenzy: Affirm & Others Emerge as Victims in Evolve Breach
A ransomware attack has become a supply chain issue, thanks to the victim's partnerships with other financial services companies.
Bank Info Security
2 years ago
Millions Affected by Prudential Ransomware Hack in February
Insurance Giant Says Hackers Stole Data of 2.5 Million IndividualsA February ransomware attack against Prudential Financial affected 2.5 million customers, the financial giant disclosed after initially calculating the totally as 36,000. In an emailed statement, Prudential said the tally shouldn't increase a second time.
Bleeping Computer
2 years ago
Patelco shuts down banking systems following ransomware attack
Patelco Credit Union has disclosed it experienced a ransomware attack that led to the proactive shutdown of several of its customer-facing banking systems to contain the incident's impact. [...]
Info Security Magazine
2 years ago
Ransomware Attack Demands Reach a Staggering $5.2m in 2024
Comparitech calculated that the average ransom demand was over $5.2m in the first six months of 2024, with 421 confirmed incidents during this period
The Hacker News
2 years ago
How MFA Failures are Fueling a 500% Surge in Ransomware Losses
The cybersecurity threat landscape has witnessed a dramatic and alarming rise in the average ransomware payment, an increase exceeding 500%. Sophos, a global leader in cybersecurity, revealed in its annual "State of Ransomware 2024" report that the average ransom payment has increased 500% in the last year with organizations that paid a ransom reporting an average payment of $2 million, up from
Bleeping Computer
2 years ago
CDK Global says all dealers will be back online by Thursday
CDK Global says that its dealer management system (DMS), impacted by a massive IT outage following a June 18th ransomware attack, will be back online by Thursday for all car dealerships. [...]
Info Security Magazine
2 years ago
Over Six Million Hit by Ransomware Breach at Infosys McCamish Systems
Outsourcer Infosys McCamish Systems has revealed millions of victims were impacted by a ransomware attack last year