Triple Extortion Ransomware - What it is and how to prevent It

The global surge in ransomware attacks increased by 102% in 2021 compared to the beginning of 2020, and shows no sign of slowing down

The number of organizations impacted by ransomware globally has more than doubled in the first half of 2021 compared with 2020.

The healthcare and utilities sectors are the most targeted sectors while organizations in Asia Pacific are targeted more than any other region.

Since April, researchers at Check Point Research (CPR) have seen an average of over 1,000 organizations being impacted by ransomware every week.

Prominent attacks that have taken place at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 point at a new attack chain – essentially an expansion to the double extortion ransomware technique, integrating an additional, unique threat to the process – that CPR calls the Triple Extortion. 

What is Triple Extortion? You can find out HERE.

Conti Ransomware Gang Has Full Log4Shell Attack Chain

The Conti ransomware gang, which last week became the first professional crimeware outfit to adopt and weaponize the Log4Shell vulnerability, has now built up a holistic attack chain.

The sophisticated Russia-based Conti group – which Palo Alto Networks has called “one of the most ruthless” of dozens of ransomware groups currently known to be active – was in the right place at the right time with the right tools when Log4Shell hit the scene 10 days ago, security firm Advanced Intelligence (AdvIntel) said in a report shared with Threatpost on Thursday.

You can read the Threatpost story HERE.

Cryptocurrency fuels ransomware payments

Cryptocurrency fuels ransomware payments and without regulation, it could get much worse. The rapid ascent of crypto, like other emerging technologies before it, has far outpaced the federal government's ability to regulate it.

 

Read the full article HERE.

 

What is a cyber attack?

From virtual bank heists to semi-open attacks from nation-states, the last couple of years has been rough on IT security. 

A cyber attack is an attack launched from one or more computers against another computer, multiple computers or networks. Cyber attacks can be broken down into two broad types: attacks where the goal is to disable the target computer or knock it offline, or attacks where the goal is to get access to the target computer's data and perhaps gain admin privileges on it.

Josh Fruhlinger posting on CSO fills us in on cyber attacks using some of the major recent cyber attacks and analyses what we can learn from them.

Read his article - What is a cyber attack? Recent examples show disturbing trends

 

What do YOU know about Malware?

So you think you know your malware? Here's a quick refresher from Roger A. Grimes at CSO Online to make sure you know what you're talking about — with basic advice for finding and removing malware when you've been hit. 

Read it here - 9 types of malware and how to recognize them

Mobile Banking Threats – What’s on the cards?

The Latest Data on Mobile Banking Threats
From PYMNTS.com -

“Mobile financial threats are now among the ranks of the top ten malicious programs that were created to steal money, according to new data from Kaspersky Lab.

In its latest security bulletin about the trends in 2015, it dives into what it calls the “rapid spread of ransomware,” which Kaspersky Lab reported being found in 200 countries and territories alone in 2015. But that’s not to say traditional financial cybercrime has gone down. In general, its data showed that cyberattacks committed against businesses doubled in 2015.

Kaspersky’s data shows that its lab solutions blocked “almost 2 million” attempts to launch malware that the firm says is capable of stealing money through online banking using computers. This was a 2.8 percent increase from the year prior.”

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Ransomware: The Right Response

From Bank Info Security -

“So-called ransomware attacks are on the rise, namely because targeted businesses are increasingly willing to negotiate with - and even pay - their extortionists.

Ransomware has been getting a lot of media attention of late. On April 1, security firm Trend Micro reported that since the beginning of the year, numerous variants of crypto-ransomware have been discovered in the wild, striking consumers and businesses throughout the world.”

Read more>>