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.
It remains unclear how the attackers gained access to Newpark Resources' system, or what they plan to do with any stolen data the strike may have spewed out.
After being used in Akira and Fog ransomware attacks, a critical Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) security flaw was also recently exploited to deploy Frag ransomware. [...]
International energy solution provider Newpark Resources has confirmed it was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted critical systems
Close International Law Enforcement Collaboration Will Continue, Experts ForecastOne post-election question pertaining to Donald Trump's upcoming presidency is how his administration will choose to combat cybercrime, and to what extent the White House will continue to take a leadership role in combating ransomware and cybercrime - especially based in Russia.
Also: Ransomware Hackers Demand BaguettesThis week, Chinese spying, Italian hacking scandal, an FBI warning and Okta fixed a bug. Google mandated MFA, zero days in PTZOptics and a Mexican airport didn't pay ransom. Cybercriminals demanded baguettes, breach lettersin Ohio and Germany will shield white hats. The Italian DPA rebuked a bank.
Interlock employs both “big-game hunting” and double extortion tactics against its victims
Burning Issues Include Russian Hacking, China's Hitting Critical InfrastructureFour years since Trump's last term, the cyber picture looks - in many ways - markedly different. How will the incoming administration tackle Russian disinformation and cyber operations against NATO, rampant Chinese cyber espionage, and cybercriminals and ransomware continuing to disrupt businesses?
Organizations remain unprepared to defend against known and predictable attacks like ransomware
Experts say incident has 'all the hallmarks of ransomware' Telematics tech biz Microlise says an attack that hit its network likely did not expose customer data, although staff aren't so lucky.…
INTERPOL on Tuesday said it took down more than 22,000 malicious servers linked to various cyber threats as part of a global operation
Hellcat crew claimed to have gained access via the company's Atlassian Jira system Schneider Electric confirmed that it is investigating a breach as a ransomware group Hellcat claims to have stolen more than 40 GB of compressed data — and demanded the French multinational energy management company pay $125,000 in baguettes or else see its sensitive customer and operational information leaked.…
The cybercriminal group holding the stolen information is demanding the vendor admit to the breach and pay up.
Memorial Hospital and Manor Tapping Its Experience Dealing With Downtime ProceduresA small community hospital and its nursing home in rural Georgia have resorted to paper charts and other manual process for patient care as they deal with a ransomware attack discovered Saturday that knocked its electronic health records and other IT systems offline.
Incident Responders Say Disruptions Help, See No Spike in Median Ransom PaymentsFor anyone dreaming of law enforcement agencies arresting ransomware bigwigs, or intelligence agencies taking them out with drone strikes, keep on hoping. But here's good news: ransom payments haven't skyrocketed, as disruptions by law enforcement appear to be having an impact.
The City of Columbus, Ohio, informed the Maine Attorney General’s Office that approximately 55% of its residents were affected by the breach
Victims were placed in serious danger following highly sensitive data dump The City of Columbus, Ohio, has confirmed half a million people's data was accessed and potentially stolen when Rhysida's ransomware raided its systems over the summer.…
The City of Columbus, Ohio, notified 500,000 individuals that a ransomware gang stole their personal and financial information in a July 2024 cyberattack. [...]
A relatively new ransomware operation named Interlock attacks organizations worldwide, taking the unusual approach of creating an encryptor to target FreeBSD servers. [...]