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.
Remote desktop software maker AnyDesk disclosed on Friday that it suffered a cyber attack that led to a compromise of its production systems
Also: Rampant App Vulnerabilities, Cloud Misconfiguration and Why CISOs MatterWelcome to "Cyber Fail," where our experts uncover fails so we can all strengthen our defenses. Today, we examine what happens when ransomware groups get careless, application developers' laissez-faire attitude toward vulnerabilities, and the security woes of a beleaguered crypto exchange.
Attacks on hospitals continued this week, with ransomware operations disrupting patient care as they force organization to respond to cyberattacks. [...]
While Average Falls Below 30%, We're Still Far From Seeing Criminal Profits Dry UpThe number of victims who opt to pay a ransom appears to have declined to a record low. During the last three months of 2023, an average of 29% of organizations hit by ransomware paid a ransom - a notable shift from what ransomware watchers saw in recent years.
Efforts part of internationally coordinated operations carried out in recent months Interpol has arrested 31 people following a three-month operation to stamp out various types of cybercrime.…
An international law enforcement operation code-named 'Synergia' has taken down over 1,300 command and control servers used in ransomware, phishing, and malware campaigns. [...]
The last quarter of 2023 saw an 80% year-on-year increase in ransomware victim claims, according to ReliaQuest
An INTERPOL-led collaborative operation targeting phishing, banking malware, and ransomware attacks has led to the identification of 1,300 suspicious IP addresses and URLs
FTC Is Latest Agency to Rebuke Fundraising Firm for Lax Security in 2020 AttackThe Federal Trade Commission is the latest regulatory agency taking action against fundraising and customer relationship management software provider Blackbaud in the aftermath of a 2020 ransomware incident that compromised the data of tens of thousands of clients and millions of consumers.
Also: Cloudflare Was Hacked With Stolen Okta TokenThis week, former CIA programmer gets 40-year sentence, zero trust prevents widespread damage, possible ransomware attack in Georgia, alleged hacker detained in Ukraine, USB-spread malware in Italy, LockBit attack on non-bank home mortgage lender, and Ukrainian critical infrastructure disrupted.
Blackbaud has settled with the Federal Trade Commission after being charged with poor security and reckless data retention practices, leading to a May 2020 ransomware attack and a data breach affecting millions of people. [...]
A GAO report found that federal agencies are not assessing whether critical infrastructure sectors are implementing NIST ransomware protection guidance
Global collaborative effort focused on combating the global rise of phishing, malware and ransomware
It even had the gall to set the ransom demand at $800K … for a nonprofit Ransomware gang LockBit is claiming responsibility for an attack on a Chicago children's hospital in an apparent deviation from its previous policy of not targeting nonprofits.…
Technica? Europcar? Cybercriminals are increasingly bluffing about ransomware attacks, and the cybersecurity community is helping by spreading their lies.
JCI's latest SEC filing notes that its smart-factory installations weren't compromised, allaying physical security fears.
It's almost like years of false assurances have made people realize payments are pointless Trusting a ransomware crew to honor a deal isn't the greatest idea, and the world seems to be waking up to that. The number of victims who chose to pay dropped to a new low of 29 percent in the last quarter of 2023.…
Evidence mounts of an exploit gatekept within Russia's borders Security researchers believe the Akira ransomware group could be exploiting a nearly four-year-old Cisco vulnerability and using it as an entry point into organizations' systems.…