Are ransomware attacks making a comeback as a dominant cyber security threat? Norsk Hydro, Verint, Weather Channel and Arizona Beverages are among the big names who have fallen victim in recent weeks.
Cyber Security
Cyber criminals, state-sponsored hackers and even the occasional disgruntled employee are constantly looking to gain unauthorized access for a variety of purposes: theft of money, cyber espionage, personal information for sale or for use in scams, and damage to critical infrastructure for just a few of the most common.
So how does an organization mitigate an entire world full of continual cyber attacks? Just as buildings have a number of necessary elements of physical security: access control, cameras, alarms and so on; there are similar key elements of cyber security that are absolutely vital for just about any modern business.
It starts with identifying and closing the most common doors that attackers use. For example, phishing attacks on employees are far and away the most common initial point of entry. The breach of even a low-level employee account can quickly turn into an escalation in access privileges and the ability to reach sensitive information. This is also true of smart devices, which are generally more poorly secured than computers and phones.
Report found that most organizations that suffered successful ransomware attacks since 2019 had perimeter defenses in place and had trained their employees on phishing.
New survey shows many consumers would demand compensation and want to hold CEOs of the businesses directly responsible if ransomware attacks were to affect them.
Johannesburg is again a fallen victim to ransomware attacks on cities. Following the July attack where some residents were left without power, hackers had compromised the city's IT infrastructure this time.
New report from Datto shows that ransomware attacks continue to be the leading form of cyber attack experienced by small- and medium-sized businesses, with 4 of 5 MSPs having clients hit over the last 2 years.
2019 has seen ransomware costs higher than they ever have been and are expected to increase in 2020. It needs to become an unprofitable business to stop the attacks from hackers.
Stanford University Department of Public Safety is investigating an alleged data breach by the Akira ransomware gang that stole 430 GB of data, including private information and confidential documents.
Ragnar Locker ransomware gang targeted the municipality of Zwijndrecht but instead hacked a local Belgian police unit, releasing sensitive police data, including investigation reports and criminal records.
It is unclear if the website defacement with ransom notes signals a broader trend, but ransomware gangs have been known to change and evolve their tactics over time.
The ransomware gang ALPHV has claimed to have breached Amazon's Ring on the underground site it uses to extort victims, though it has yet to provide any evidence.










