The Biden administration Wednesday urged private U.S. companies to take five key steps to protect against ransomware. These are best practices most likely to reduce an organization’s risk of succumbing to a ransomware attack. Our clients are very familiar with these five steps. They are: Back up your data, system images, and configuration. Regularly test …
Biden urges private companies to protect against ransomware Read More »
Q: What’s worse than having your systems encrypted by ransomware? A: Discovering hackers used two different strains of ransomware, meaning your data is double-encrypted. Yes, this nightmare is out there, according to a recent Wired article. The article cites cases where combinations of REvil and Netwalker malware, as well as MedusaLocker and GlobalImposter ransomware combinations, …
Did you know – the U.S. Treasury Department has warned that making ransomware payments could bring sanctions on your organization. The warning also applies to banks and insurance companies, as well as firms negotiating the payments. This is because ransomware can come from a sanctioned country or bad actor. For example, one U.S. sanctioned country, …
Ransomware payments may add U.S. sanctions to your costs Read More »
The rising scourge of ransomware needs a global approach to halt its devastation, a task force with government and corporate representatives announced last week. Ransomware is “a flourishing criminal industry” which “routinely imperils lives,” the task force organized by the non-profit Institute for Security and Technology wrote. Utilities, hospitals, schools, military posts, and municipalities all …
Ransomware: National security risk needs global approach Read More »
In 2021, complacency about your IT security is dangerous. Recent news about hidden, extensive breaches of state and federal government entities and private corporations shocked many in IT and cybersecurity. According to investigators, Russian agents spread espionage malware through updates from IT management firm SolarWinds. The list of victims continues to grow, and investigators believe …
You can’t afford to postpone investing cybersecurity in 2021 Read More »
A crook is making news for offering to sell hundreds of stolen C-level email user names and passwords. “The login information has been verified by cybersecurity teams and is for Office 365 and Microsoft accounts of CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CTOs, and other senior positions,” TechRepublic reported Wednesday. The email user name and password combinations are …
IT security measures are for everyone – including the CEO Read More »
Jiang Lizhi, 35, works at a company called Chengdu 404 Network Technology Company Ltd. in the capital city of China’s Sichuan province. He’s the Vice President for the Technical Department of Chengdu 404. Chengdu 404 bills itself as a network security company, with “elite ‘white hat’ hackers” providing defensive measures and data analytics services. According …
Don’t pay ransom – it only spurs more ransomware attacks, according to Microsoft. In a recent blog post by Microsoft’s Detection And Response Team, organizations are urged to maximize their security efforts instead. “Paying a ransom is often expensive, dangerous, and only refuels the attackers’ capacity to continue their operations,” the post says. “(B)ottom line, …
Don’t pay ransom to cyber criminals, Microsoft advises Read More »
This year’s trends in ransomware attacks have left IT Security researchers worried about what’s coming in 2020. Dark Reading cites “growing collaboration between threat groups on ransomware campaigns; the use of more sophisticated evasion mechanisms; elaborate multi-phase attacks involving reconnaissance and network scoping; and human-guided automated attack techniques.” Hackers also have developed ways to research …
Ransomware attacks: Likely to go “from bad to worse” Read More »
The hackers behind Maze ransomware are really something. They are currently in the news for blackmailing victims that refuse to pay their ransom demands. They have released a list of victim names and sample files locked up by their ransomware. Maze Ransomware also hit the city of Pensacola, Fla., Dec. 7, a day after a …
Maze hackers using blackmail – while claiming moral high ground Read More »
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