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.
Though it is possible for cyber disruptions to occur, CISA and the FBI say that ransomware will not impact casting or counting ballots.
Institutionalizing and sustaining fundamental cybersecurity practices requires a commitment to ongoing vigilance, active management, and a comprehensive understanding of evolving threats.
RansomHub ransomware operators have been spotted deploying new malware to disable Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) security software in Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks [...]
Ransom payments in the first half of 2024 hit $460m, according to Chainalysis
A cybercrime group with links to the RansomHub ransomware has been observed using a new tool designed to terminate endpoint detection and response (EDR) software on compromised hosts, joining the likes of other similar programs like AuKill (aka AvNeutralizer) and Terminator
Brain Cipher made a loud entry to the ransomware scene, but it doesn't seem to be quite as sophisticated as its accomplishment would suggest.
An ongoing social engineering campaign with alleged links to the Black Basta ransomware group has been linked to "multiple intrusion attempts" with the goal of conducting credential theft and deploying a malware dropper called SystemBC
Three state attorneys general probed the company and found plenty to chastise Biotech biz Enzo Biochem is being forced to pay three state attorneys general a $4.5 million penalty following a 2023 ransomware attack that compromised the data of more than 2.4 million people.…
Maksim Silnikau and his associates are accused of developing and distributing notorious ransomware strains such as Reveton and Ransom Cartel, amongst other criminal acts.
A coalition of law enforcement agencies coordinated by the U.K. National Crime Agency (NCA) has led to the arrest and extradition of a Belarussian and Ukrainian dual-national believed to be associated with Russian-speaking cybercrime groups
The threat group is disrupting healthcare organizations. Victims can help themselves, though, even after compromise, by being careful in the decryption process.
Australia's Evolution Mining said its IT systems were infected with ransomware in an Aug. 8 cyber incident.
Plus many more newbies waiting in the wings Despite a law enforcement takedown six months ago, LockBit 3.0 remains the most prolific encryption and extortion gang, at least so far, this year, according to Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42.…
Computer infrastructure in the US, UK, and Germany associated with the cybercriminal group, which targeted SMBs using double extortion, is officially out of commission.
Authorities allege 'J.P. Morgan' practiced ‘extreme operational and online security’ The US has charged a suspect they claim is a Belarusian-Ukrainian cybercriminal whose offenses date back to 2011.…
In a Monday filing with the ASX, Evolution Mining stated that the incident was contained
Kootenai Health has disclosed a data breach impacting over 464,000 patients after their personal information was stolen and leaked by the 3AM ransomware operation. [...]
The takedown may be small but any ransomware gang sent to the shops is good news in our book The Dispossessor ransomware group is the latest to enter the cybercrime graveyard with the Feds proudly laying claim to the takedown.…
Belarusian-Ukrainian national Maksim Silnikau was arrested in Spain and is now extradited to the USA to face charges for creating the Ransom Cartel ransomware operation in 2021 and running a malvertising operation from 2013 to 2022. [...]
Traditionally, the focus has been on defending against digital threats such as malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks by detecting them and responding. However, as cyber threats become more sophisticated. There is a growing recognition of the importance of measures that stop new attacks before they are recognized. With high-value assets, it’s not good enough to have the protection, it’s