Ransomware

Article

US Secret Service Forms Cyber Fraud Task Force

Akshaya Asokan • July 11, 2020

The U.S. Secret Service is combining its electronic and financial crimes units into a single task force that will focus on investigating cyber-related financial crimes, such as BEC schemes and ransomware attacks. The move comes as lawmakers push for the Secret Service to take a more active role in fighting cybercrime.

Article

Purple Fox Malware Targets More Vulnerabilities

Ishita Chigilli Palli • July 7, 2020

The developers behind the Purple Fox fileless downloader malware recently upgraded their operation and are now targeting two new vulnerabilities to gain access to networks, according to a report by security firm Proofpoint.

Blog

Ransomware + Exfiltration + Leaks = Data Breach

Mathew J. Schwartz • July 7, 2020

Ransomware-wielding attackers continue to pummel organizations. But labeling these as being just ransomware attacks often misses how much these incidents involve serious network intrusions, exfiltration of extensive amounts of data, data leaks and, as a result, reportable data breaches.

Article

How Ekans Ransomware Targets Industrial Control Systems

Akshaya Asokan • July 4, 2020

Researchers with FortiGuard Labs have uncovered two samples of the Ekans ransomware strain that offer some additional insight into how the crypto-locking malware targets industrial control systems, according to a new report. Ekans, also known as Snake, was first spotted earlier this year.

Article

WastedLocker Ransomware Targets US Newspaper Company

Akshaya Asokan • July 2, 2020

The gang behind the WastedLocker ransomware strain recently targeted dozens of newspaper websites operated by a U.S. media company, according to the security firm Symantec.

Article

Ransomware Targets Mac Users

Doug Olenick • June 30, 2020

A ransomware strain targeting Mac users is spreading via a fake installer for Little Snitch - a host-based application firewall for macOS - according to the security firm Malwarebytes, which says the malware is poorly designed.

Article

UCSF Med School Pays $1.1 Million Ransom

Scott Ferguson , Doug Olenick • June 29, 2020

The University of California San Francisco says it paid a $1.14 million ransom earlier this month to obtain decryptor keys to unlock several servers within its school of medicine that were struck with ransomware.

Article

OnDemand | New Threats in the Age of the Dynamic Workforce

Information Security Media Group , • June 29, 2020

View this webinar to learn strategies to mitigate cyberattack risk in the 'new normal' and what you can do to continue to stay ahead of the curve.

Webinar

Live Webinar | The Post-Pandemic New Normal: Rethink and Rebuild Cyber Security (11 am AEST I 1 pm NZST)

Jinan Budge, Principal Analyst Serving Security & Risk Professionals, Forrester , Ashwin Pal, Director of Cybersecurity Services, Asia Pacific, Unisys , Gergana Winzer, Industry Director of Cybersecurity, Australia and New Zealand, Unisys • June 25, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has put new security pressures on organizations, which are adapting to having large numbers of employees working from home. The threat landscape has changed, and attackers are looking to exploit weaknesses in how organizations have changed access to applications and data assets, which has forced...

Article

Sodinokibi Ransomware Gang Targets POS Software

Akshaya Asokan • June 24, 2020

The Sodinokibi ransomware gang is targeting point-of-sale payment device software after infecting networks with its crypto-locking malware, according to Symantec.

Article

Evil Corp's 'WastedLocker' Campaign Demands Big Ransoms

Doug Olenick • June 24, 2020

The Evil Corp cybercrime group, originally known for the Dridex banking Trojan, is now using new ransomware called WastedLocker, demanding ransom payments of $500,000 to $1 million, according to security researchers at NCC Group's Fox-IT.

Blog

Ransomware Gangs Go (Lady) Gaga for Data Breaches

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 24, 2020

Many ransomware gangs hell-bent on seeing a criminal payday have now added data exfiltration to their shakedown arsenal. Gangs' extortion play: Pay us, or we'll dump stolen data. One massive takeaway is that increasingly, ransomware outbreaks also are data breaches, thus triggering breach notification rules.

Article

Nefilim Ransomware Gang Tied to Citrix Gateway Hacks

Mathew J. Schwartz • June 22, 2020

Hackers wielding Nefilim ransomware are targeting unpatched or poorly secured Citrix remote-access technology, then stealing data, unleashing crypto-locking malware and threatening to dump data to try to force payment, New Zealand's national computer emergency response team warns.

Interview

Analysis: Mitigating Risks in Multicloud Environments

Nick Holland • June 19, 2020

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report discusses recent research on the cyberthreats in multicloud environments and how to mitigate them. Also featured: A ransomware risk management update; tips on disaster planning.

Article

Congress Hears of Fresh Cyberthreats to US Financial Firms

Ishita Chigilli Palli • June 18, 2020

U.S. financial institutions are vulnerable to a new array of attacks from cybercriminals and nation-state hackers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts told a Congressional panel at a virtual hearing.