trade secrets . `` One time they stoleAttack.Databreachthe pricing information from a solar company so they could price-dump , '' the former law-enforcement officer explained . `` To add insult to injury , when they were sued for doing so , they then stoleAttack.Databreachthe litigation strategy from [ the solar company ] as well . '' The purpose of the attack was n't to bring down the solar companies ' systems , but those types of intrusions are just as common . Hackers regularly break into systems and then bring them to a halt until the victims make ransom paymentsAttack.Ransom. Or , in the case of a sustained cyber attack on four dozen U.S. banks from 2011 through 2013 , which was traced back to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard , systems can be disrupted in retaliation for cyber attacks conducted by our own intelligence agencies , as news reports speculated at the time . To get back to Delta Air Lines and United Airlines , then , it does n't seem like an unreasonable stretch of the imagination to assume that the unexplained computer outages at the two companies were n't a coincidence at all , but instead the result of cyber attacks .
( TNS ) — Last month , employees at the Colorado Department of Transportation were greeted by a message on their computer screens similar to this : “ All your files are encrypted with RSA-2048 encryption . … It ’ s not possible to recover your files without private key . … You must sendAttack.Ransomus 0.7 BitCoin for each affected PC or 3 BitCoins to receive ALL Private Keys for ALL affected PC ’ s. ” CDOT isn’t payingAttack.Ransom, but others have . In fact , so-called ransomware has become one of the most lucrative criminal enterprises in the U.S. and internationally , with the FBI estimating total paymentsAttack.Ransomare nearing $ 1 billion . Hackers use ransomware to encrypt computer files , making them unreadable without a secret key , and then demand digital currencyAttack.Ransomlike bitcoin if victims want the files back — and many victims are falling for that promise . Ransomware infects more than 100,000 computers around the world every day and paymentsAttack.Ransomare approaching $ 1 billion , said U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein during the October 2017 Cambridge Cyber Summit , citing FBI statistics . A study by researchers at Google , Chainalysis , University of California San Diego and NYU Tandon School of Engineering estimated that from 2016 to mid 2017 , victims paidAttack.Ransom$ 25 million in ransomAttack.Ransomto get files back . And one out of five businesses that do pay the ransomAttack.Ransomdon ’ t get their data back , according to 2016 report by Kaspersky Labs . Last spring , the Erie County Medical Center in New York was attackedAttack.Ransomby SamSam due to a misconfigured web server , according to The Buffalo News . Because it had backed up its files , the hospital decided not to payAttack.Ransomthe estimated $ 44,000 ransomAttack.Ransom. It took six weeks to get back to normal at a recovery cost of nearly $ 10 million . More recently in January , the new SamSam variant sneakedAttack.Ransominto Indiana hospital Hancock Health , which decided to payAttack.Ransom4 bitcoin , or about $ 55,000 , in ransomAttack.Ransom. Attackers gained entry by using a vendor ’ s username and password on a Thursday night . The hospital was back online by Monday morning . Colorado security officials are still investigating the CDOT ransomware attackAttack.Ransomthat took 2,000 employee computers offline for more than a week . They don ’ t plan to pay the ransomAttack.Ransombut offered few details about the attackAttack.Ransomother than confirming it was a variant of the SamSam ransomware . Security researchers with Cisco ’ s Talos , which shared the SamSam message with The Denver Post , reported in January that the new SamSam variant had so far collected 30.4 bitcoin , or about $ 325,217 . The reality is that people need to be smarter about computer security . That means patching software , using anti-malware software , and not sharing passwords and accounts . And not opening files , emails or links from unfamiliar sources — and sometimes familiar sources . Webroot doesn ’ t have an official stance on whether to pay a ransomAttack.Ransomto get files back , but Dufour says it ’ s a personal decision . Cybersecurity companies like Webroot can advise whether the hacker has a reputation for restoring files after payment is receivedAttack.Ransom. “ Paying a ransomAttack.Ransomto a cybercriminal is an incredibly personal decision . It ’ s easy to say not to negotiate with criminals when it ’ s not your family photos or business data that you ’ ll never see again . Unfortunately , if you want your data back , paying the ransomAttack.Ransomis often the only option , ” Dufour said . “ However , it ’ s important to know that there are some strains of ransomware that have coding and encryption errors . For these cases , even paying the ransomAttack.Ransomwon ’ t decrypt your data . I recommend checking with a computer security expert before paying any ransomAttack.Ransom. ”
The toys -- which can receive and send voice messages from children and parents -- have been involved in a data breachAttack.Databreachdealing with more than 800,000 user accounts . The breachAttack.Databreach, which grabbed headlines on Monday , is drawing concerns from security researchers because it may have given hackers accessAttack.Databreachto voice recordings from the toy 's customers . But the company behind the products , Spiral Toys , is denying that any customers were hackedAttack.Databreach. Absolutely not , '' said Mark Meyers , CEO of the company . Security researcher Troy Hunt , who tracks data breachesAttack.Databreach, brought the incidentAttack.Databreachto light on Monday . Hackers appear to have accessedAttack.Databreachan exposed CloudPets ' database , which contained email addresses and hashed passwords , and they even sought to ransomAttack.Ransomthe information back in January , he said in a blog post . The incidentAttack.Databreachunderscores the danger with connected devices , including toys , and how data passing through them can be exposedAttack.Databreach, he added . In the case of CloudPets , the brand allegedly made the mistake of storing the customer information in a publicly exposedAttack.Databreachonline MongoDB database that required no authentication to access . That allowed anyone , including hackers , to view and stealAttack.Databreachthe data . On the plus side , the passwords exposedAttack.Databreachin the breachAttack.Databreachare hashed with the bcrypt algorithm , making them difficult to crack . Unfortunately , CloudPets placed no requirement on password strength , meaning that even a single character such as letter `` a '' was acceptable , according to Hunt , who was given a copy of the stolen data last week . As a result , Hunt was able to decipher a large number of the passwords , by simply checking them against common terms such as qwerty , 123456 , and cloudpets . `` Anyone with the data could crack a large number of passwords , log on to accounts and pull down the voice recordings , '' Hunt said in his blog post . Security researcher Victor Gevers from the GDI Foundation said he also discovered the exposed database from CloudPets and tried to contact the toy maker in late December . However , both Gevers and Hunt said the company never responded to their repeated warnings . On Monday , California-based Spiral Toys , which operates the CloudPets brand , claimed the company never received the warnings . `` The headlines that say 2 million messages were leakedAttack.Databreachon the internet are completely false , '' Meyers said . His company only became aware of the issue after a reporter from Vice Media contacted them last week . `` We looked at it and thought it was a very minimal issue , '' he said . A malicious actor would only be able to accessAttack.Databreacha customer 's voice recording if they managed to guess the password , he said . `` We have to find a balance , '' Meyers said , when he addressed the toy maker 's lack of password strength requirements . He also said that Spiral Toys had outsourced its server management to a third-party vendor . In January , the company implemented changes MongoDB requested to increase the server 's security . Spiral Toys hasn ’ t been the only company targeted . In recent months , several hacking groups have been attackingAttack.Databreachthousands of publicly exposed MongoDB databases . They ’ ve done so by erasing the data , and then saying they can restore it , but only if victims pay a ransom feeAttack.Ransom. In the CloudPets incident , different hackers appear to have deleted the original databases , but leftAttack.Ransomransom notes on the exposed systems , Hunt said . Although the CloudPets ’ databases are no longer publicly accessible , it appears that the toy maker hasn ’ t notified customers about the breachAttack.Databreach, Hunt said . The danger is that hackers might be using the stolen information to break into customer accounts registered with the toys . But Meyers said the company found no evidence that any hackers broke into customer accounts . To protect its users , the company is planning on a password reset for all users . `` Maybe our solution is to put more complex passwords , '' he said .
A newly discovered threat aims to stealAttack.DatabreachNetflix user credentials and hold them hostage , according to researchers at Trend Micro . Netflix has 93 million subscribers in more than 190 countries . It 's a popular app , but many people are n't willing to pay the monthly subscription fee . They 'll try to bypass the cost and watch content for free - and cybercriminals are now taking advantage of them . This newly detected ransomware , RANSOM_NETIX.A , aims to trickAttack.PhishingWindows PC users with a login generator typically used for software and account membership piracy . Victims click a `` Generate Login '' button to kick-start the encryption process . The ransomware uses fake login prompts as a distraction while it encrypts 39 file types under the C : \Users directory . The program then demandsAttack.Ransom$ 100 in Bitcoin from victims . While it targets Windows users , it 's worth noting the ransomware destroys itself on systems not running Windows 7 or Windows 10 . Netflix , with its massive user base , presents a tempting opportunity for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities , infect systems to stealAttack.Databreachuser data , and monetize data on the dark Web . Stolen credentials can be used to bargain among criminals or trickAttack.Phishingvictims into installing malware , which can generate profit . `` We regularly see threat actors utilize popular apps or services as a lureAttack.Phishingto get victims to infect themselves , '' explains Jon Clay , global director of threat communications at Trend Micro . `` Also , by using imagery that is similar to the real vendor 's imagery , [ criminals ] trickAttack.Phishingthe victim into thinking it 's real . '' Clay says this discovery marks a continuation of 2016 ransomware trends , which included the creation of new tactics to generate more victims . After seeing nearly 750 % growth in new ransomware families in 2016 , Trend Micro predicted 25 % growth in new families for 2017 . The Netflix scam carries implications for how ransomware will evolve later in the year . `` We will likely see other popular vendors targeted with their brands , especially if the actors behind [ the Netflix scam ] find success , '' he continues . `` They will use this tactic again with other vendors . '' This is a wake-up call for potential victims to protect their accounts . Best practices include regularly updating account credentials , employing two-factor authentication , limiting downloads to official sources , and being wary of illegitimate emails . Businesses should educate their employees on how ransomware threats work , and how using legitimate brands in social engineering attacks can trickAttack.Phishingvictims into making dangerous decisions . Employees should be aware that trying to obtain a free Netflix account is `` bogus , '' says Clay , and should not be acted upon . If a deal seems too good to be true , it typically is
A hacker who claims to have stolenAttack.Databreachunreleased television shows from several major networks shared the coming season of the Netflix series “ Orange Is the New Black ” on Saturday after the person said the streaming service failed to meet its ransom requestsAttack.Ransom. The breach appears to have occurred at the postproduction company Larson Studios , a popular digital-mixing service in Los Angeles for television networks and movie studios . The hacker or hackers , who go by the name “ thedarkoverlord , ” also claim to have stolenAttack.Databreachunreleased content from ABC , Fox , National Geographic and IFC . The Federal Bureau of Investigation learned of the episode at Larson Studios in January but did not start notifying the content companies until a month ago . A message to Larson Studios was not immediately returned . On Twitter , thedarkoverlord suggested that other networks would have their shows released next . “ Oh , what fun we ’ re all going to have , ” the hacker said . “ We ’ re not playing any games anymore. ” Netflix had announced this year that Season 5 of “ Orange Is the New Black ” would be released June 9 , and it was not immediately clear whether it planned to move up the release date . In a statement , Netflix said : “ We are aware of the situation . A production vendor used by several major TV studios had its security compromised and the appropriate law enforcement authorities are involved . ” This specific breachAttack.Databreachhighlights a risk posed by the weak security practices in the postproduction studios that manage the release of proprietary entertainment content . While companies like Netflix and Fox might invest in state-of-the-art cybersecurity defense technology , they must also rely on an ecosystem of postproduction vendors , ranging from mom-and-pop shops to more sophisticated outfits like Dolby and Technicolor , which may not deploy the same level of cybersecurity and threat intelligence . In a message posted Saturday , thedarkoverlord criticized Netflix for not meeting its blackmail requestsAttack.Ransom. “ It didn ’ t have to be this way , Netflix , ” the message said . “ You ’ re going to lose a lot more money in all of this than what our modest offer was. ” The statement continued : “ We ’ re quite ashamed to breathe the same air as you . We figured a pragmatic business such as yourselves would see and understand the benefits of cooperating with a reasonable and merciful entity like ourselves. ” The hacker threatened to release content from other studios on Saturday if its demandsAttack.Ransomwere not met . ABC , Fox and IFC declined to comment , and a message to National Geographic was not immediately returned . The alias thedarkoverlord has popped up in other recent attacks , including one last January on a small charity in Muncie , Ind. , the Little Red Door Cancer Services of East Central Indiana . In that case , the hackers wiped the organization ’ s servers and backup servers , and demandedAttack.Ransom50 bitcoins — valued at $ 43,000 — to restore the data . The organization did not payAttack.Ransom.
LONDON — The U.K. agency tasked with fighting cyberthreats on Thursday announced a new process for the public disclosureVulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerabilityof potentially sensitive software flaws , introducing a new level of transparency to its work . The National Cyber Security Centre laid out its new procedure , called the `` Equities Process '' in a blog post that details how it makes decisions on whether to make publicVulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerabilitythe discovery of new flaws . National security operations sometimes hold back from announcingVulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerabilitythe discovery of security flaws in part because the bugs can be used to gather intelligence . “ There ’ s got to be a good reason not to disclose , ” said Ian Levy , technical director at the NCSC . The default position , the NCSC said , is to discloseVulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerabilitythose vulnerabilities to the public after fixes have been madeVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability. The government will only keep them confidential in rare instances , such as if there ’ s an overriding intelligence reason . Levy said withholding release of a bug will require high-level government sign-off . The goal is to prevent cyberattacksAttack.Ransomlike “ WannaCry , ” which paralyzed computer systems around the world in May 2017 . The attack , which the U.S. has blamed on North Korea , wrought havoc within the U.K. ’ s National Health Service ( NHS ) by exploiting vulnerabilities in an outdated version of Microsoft Windows . WannaCry underscored the dangers of not patchingVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilityor updatingVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilitysoftware . The NCSC ’ s disclosure policy follows one implemented by the White House in 2017 . The National Security Agency ( NSA ) had come under intense pressure from transparency advocates to disclose more about its work in the wake of WannaCry . “ The best defense against a cyberattack , whether it ’ s by criminals or nation states , is to keep your box up to date , ” said Levy . “ If you patchVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilityyour software , a lot of the stuff that we ’ ve found goes away. ” The vast majority of attacks are carried out by exploiting vulnerabilities already known to the vendors of the technology in question , Levy said . Such was the case when Russian cyberoperatives hacked into British telecoms companies in 2017 . Levy said the primary goal of more transparency is to “ bang the drum ” about basic cybersecurity , like patchingVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilityand secure network setups .
A group of financially motivated hackers is targeting networks and systems of North American companies , threatening to leak the stolen information and cripple the company by disrupting their networks if they don ’ t pay a hefty ransomAttack.Ransom. The group , dubbed FIN10 by FireEye researchers , first gets access to the target companies ’ systems through spear-phishingAttack.Phishing( and possibly other means ) , then uses publicly available software , scripts and techniques to gain a foothold into victims ’ networks . They use Meterpreter or the SplinterRAT to establish the initial foothold within victim environments ( and later a permanent backdoor ) , then custom PowerShell-based utilities , the pen-testing tool PowerShell Empire , and scheduled tasks to achieve persistence . “ We have also observed FIN10 using PowerShell to load Metasploit Meterpreter stagers into memory , ” the researchers noted . The group leverages Windows Remote Desktop Protocol ( RDP ) and single-factor protected VPN to access various systems within the environment . Finally , they deploy destructive batch scripts intended to delete critical system files and shutdown network systems , in order to disrupt the normal operations of those systems . “ In all but one targeted intrusion we have attributed to FIN10 , the attacker ( s ) demandedAttack.Ransoma variable sum payable in Bitcoin for the non-release of sensitive data obtained during network reconnaissance stages , ” the researchers say . They requested sum varies between 100 to 500 Bitcoin . If the ransom isn’t paidAttack.Ransom, they publish the stolen data on Pastebin-type sites . The researchers do not mention if any of the companies refused to payAttack.Ransomand ended up having their systems and networks disrupted . For the time being , the group seems to have concentrated on hitting companies in North America , predominately in Canada . They ’ ve also concentrated on two types of businesses : mining companies and casinos . Still , it ’ s possible that they ’ ve targeted companies in other industries , or will do so in the future . FIN10 sends the extortion emails to staff and board members of the victim organizations , and are also known to contact bloggers and local journalists to inform them about the breach , likely in an attempt to pressure affected organizations into paying the ransomAttack.Ransom. Finally , even though they sign their emails with monikers used by Russian and Serbian hackers ( “ Angels_Of_Truth , ” “ Tesla Team , ” Anonymous Threat Agent ” ) , the quality of the group ’ s English , the low quality of their Russian , and inconsistencies in tradecraft all point away from these particular individuals or groups . “ Emphasis in regional targeting of North American-based organizations could possibly suggest the attacker ( s ) familiarity with the region , ” the researchers noted . They also point out that the “ relative degree of operational success enjoyed by FIN10 makes it highly probable the group will continue to conduct similar extortionAttack.Ransom- based campaigns at least in the near term. ” Companies that have been received a similar ransom demandAttack.Ransomare advised to move fast to confirm that the breach has actually happened , to determine the scope of the breach , to contain the attack , to boot the attackers from their networks , and make sure they can ’ t come back . Those last two steps are , perhaps , better done after the company definitely decides that they are ready to deal with the consequences of the attackers ’ anger . Calling in law enforcement and legal counsel for advice on what to do is also a good idea . “ Understand that paying the ransomAttack.Ransommay be the right option , but there are no guarantees the attacker ( s ) won ’ t come back for more money or simply leak the data anyway . Include experts in the decision-making process and understand the risks associated with all options , ” the researchers advise . Companies that have yet to be targeted by these or other hackers would do well to improve their security posture , but also to prepare for data breachesAttack.Databreachby tightening access to their backup environment , and knowing exactly who will be called in to help in case of a breachAttack.Databreach.
Ticketfly has been grounded . After a `` series of recent issues , '' the online ticketing service took down all its websites Thursday , saying it was `` the target of a cyber incident . '' `` Out of an abundance of caution , we have taken all Ticketfly systems temporarily offline as we continue to look into the issue , '' the company said across its many properties . Ticketfly did n't comment on whether any user information , such as credit card data , had been stolenAttack.Databreachin the cyberattackAttack.Databreach. `` We realize the gravity of this decision , but the security of client and customer data is our top priority , '' a Ticketfly spokeswoman said in an email . The company 's pages have been down since 6 a.m . ET . A hacker who goes by `` IShAkDz '' has taken credit for the attack . Before Ticketfly took down its websites , the hacker left a taunting message across the service 's website : `` Your security down , I 'm not sorry . Next time I will publishAttack.Databreachdatabase . '' The hacker , who also left an e-mail address , appeared to have a database with more than 4,000 spreadsheets holding people 's information , including email addresses , phone numbers , names and addresses . In an email , the attacker told CNET that he or she contacted TicketFly about the potential exploit multiple times , but did n't hear back . The attacker demandedAttack.RansomTicketFly payAttack.Ransom1 bitcoin to fix the cyberattackAttack.Ransom, which is currently worth $ 7,544 . The Ticketfly spokeswoman did n't comment on the alleged hacker . Eventbrite , which owns Ticketfly , does n't have any issues on its website .
A hacker or group of hackers is apparently trying to e xtort Attack.RansomApple over alleged access to a large cache of iCloud and other Apple email accounts . The hackers , who identified themselves as 'Turkish Crime Family ' , d emanded Attack.Ransom$ 75,000 in Bitcoin or Ethereum , another increasingly popular crypto-currency , or $ 100,000 worth of iTunes gift cards in exchange for deleting the alleged cache of data . `` I just want my money and thought this would be an interesting report that a lot of Apple customers would be interested in reading and hearing , '' one of the hackers told Motherboard . The hackers provided screenshots of alleged emails between the group and members of Apple 's security team . One also gave Motherboard access to an email account allegedly used to communicate with Apple . `` Are you willing to share a sample of the data set ? '' an unnamed member of Apple 's security team wrote to the hackers a week ago , according to one of the emails stored in the account . The hackers also uploaded a YouTube video of them allegedly logging into some of the stolen accounts . The hacker appears to a ccess Attack.Databreachan elderly woman 's iCloud account , which includes backed-up photos , and the ability to remotely wipe the device . `` We firstly kindly request you to remove the video that you have uploaded on your YouTube channel as it 's seeking unwanted attention , second of all we would like you to know that we do not reward cyber criminals for breaking the law , '' a message allegedly from a member of Apple 's security team reads . The alleged Apple team member then says archived communications with the hacker will be sent to the authorities . According to one of the emails in the accessed account , the hackers claim to h ave access Attack.Databreachto over 300 million Apple email accounts , including those use @ icloud and @ me domains . However , the hackers appear to be inconsistent in their story ; one of the hackers then claimed they had 559 million accounts in all . The hackers did not provide Motherboard with any of the supposedly stolen iCloud accounts to verify this claim , except those shown in the video . By reading other emails included in the account , it appears the hackers have approached multiple media outlets . This may be in an attempt to put pressure on Apple ; hackers sometimes feed information to reporters in order to help e xtortion efforts.Attack.RansomAfter the publication of this article , an Apple spokesperson told Motherboard in an email , `` There have not b een any breaches Attack.Databreachin any of Apple 's systems including iCloud and Apple ID . The alleged list of email addresses and passwords appears to h ave been obtained Attack.Databreachfrom p reviously compromised Attack.Databreachthird-party services .
Newark 's Service Director David Rhodes said the city 's system has not been hurt by the cyber attack and nothing like that has happened to the city before . Steve Baum , Newark 's safety director , said the city is using the unfortunate incident to educate city employees on best practices for computers . `` We get complacent because everybody uses computers every day and sometimes we just need to be reminded , '' he said . A computer virus discovered late Tuesday caused Licking County government to shut down its computers and phone systems indefinitely to prevent the virus from spreading , protect data and preserve evidence . The FBI and Bureau of Criminal Investigation have been notified . The virus , accompanied by a financial demandAttack.Ransom, is labeled ransomware , which has hitAttack.Ransomseveral local governments in Ohio and was the subject of a warning from the state auditor last summer . One tip , Baum said , is not to open personal emails on a work computer and do n't open emails or attachments from unknown senders . Baum said in the past city employees have said something if they 've received questionable emails . `` If they see something that seems suspicious about their computer or an email that they got or something like that , but they ’ ve opened it and they notify somebody , we can shut that section down and isolate the problem as quick as possible and minimize the amount of damage that it does , '' he said .
If you want to know what some ransomware developers think about the USA , you can get a good idea from the ransom note of the Sanctions Ransomware that was released in March . Dubbed Sanctions Ransomware due to the image in the ransom note , the developer makes it fairly obvious how they feel about the USA and their attempts to sanction Russia . I was tipped off about this new ransomware after someone was infected and had their files encrypted with the .wallet extension . This extension is typically associated with the Crysis/Dharma ransomware , but according to Michael Gillespie , the creator of ID-Ransomware , the files encrypted by Sanctions do not contain the standard Dharma/Crysis file markers as shown below . While I have not been able to find a sample of the actual ransomware , I was able to find a copy of the ransom note on ID-Ransomware . This ransom note is called RESTORE_ALL_DATA.html and contains a link to a satoshibox page where the ransomware developer is selling the decryption keyAttack.Ransomfor 6 bitcoins . This equates to about $ 6,500 USD at bitcoin 's current rate . As this is a very large ransom paymentAttack.Ransomand due to the fact that this ransomware is not in wide circulation , it leads me to believe that this ransomware developer may be conducting targeted attacks . Unfortunately , this is all the information we have at this time . At some point we will find a sample and be able to provide more information as we further analyze this ransomware .
MOSCOW — A new wave of powerful cyberattacks hit Europe and beyond on Tuesday in a possible reprise of a widespread ransomware assault in May . Affected were a Russian oil giant , a Danish shipping and energy conglomerate , and Ukrainian government ministries , which were brought to a standstill in a wave of r ansom demands.Attack.RansomThe virus even downed systems at the site of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant , forcing scientists to monitor radiation levels manually . Cyberattacks also spread as far as India and the United States , where the pharmaceutical giant Merck reported on Twitter that “ our company ’ s computer network was compromised today as part of global hack. ” The New Jersey-based company said it was investigating the attack . Cyber researchers say that the virus , which was linked to malware called Petrwrap or Petya , used an “ exploit ” developed by the National Security Agency that was later l eaked Attack.Databreachonto the Internet by hackers . It is the second massive attack in the past two months to turn powerful U.S. exploits against the IT infrastructure that supports national governments and corporations . The onslaught of r ansomware attacks Attack.Ransommay be the “ new normal , ” said Mark Graff , the chief executive of Tellagraff , a cybersecurity company . “ The emergence of Petya and WannaCry really points out the need for a response plan and a policy on what companies are going to do about ransomware , ” he said . T he attack Attack.Ransommainly targeted Eastern Europe but also h it Attack.Ransomcompanies in Spain , Denmark , Norway and Britain . Victims included the British advertising and marketing multinational WPP and a shipping company , APM Terminals , based at the port of Rotterdam . But the damage was worst in Ukraine . Researchers at Kaspersky Lab ’ s Global Research and Analysis Team , in Russia , estimated that 60 percent of infected computers were in Ukraine and 30 percent in Russia . The hacks targeted government ministries , banks , utilities and other important infrastructure and companies nationwide , d emanding ransoms Attack.Ransomfrom government employees in the cryptocurrency bitcoin . The hacks ’ scale and the use of ransomware recalled the massive cyberattack in May in which hackers possibly linked to North Korea disabled computers in more than 150 nations using a flaw that was once incorporated into the National Security Agency ’ s surveillance tool kit . Cyber researchers have tied the vulnerability exploited by Petya to the one used by WannaCry — a weakness d iscovered Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerabilityby the NSA years ago that the agency turned into a hacking tool dubbed EternalBlue . Petya , like WannaCry , is a worm that spreads quickly to vulnerable systems , said Bill Wright , senior policy counsel for Symantec , the world ’ s largest cybersecurity firm . But that makes it difficult to control — or to aim at anyone in particular , he said . “ Once you unleash something that propagates in this manner , it ’ s impossible to control , ” he said . Although Microsoft in March m ade available Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilitya patch for the Windows flaw that EternalBlue exploited , Petya uses other techniques to infect systems , said Jeff Greene , Symantec government affairs director .
No one likes to have their company hacked . No one is going to be happy if hackers manage to break into systems and stealAttack.Databreachaway their intellectual property . In the case of companies like Disney , having a $ 230 million blockbuster like the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie stolenAttack.Databreachcould prove to be very costly if hackers follow through with their threats to seed their pirated copy of the film on torrent sites , disrupting its official release . But imagine how much more galling it would be to give in to the hackers ’ blackmailAttack.Ransomthreats and pay a ransomAttack.Ransomfor the movie not to be leaked online , only to discover later that the extortionists never had a copy of the film in the first place ? Earlier this month it was widely reported that Walt Disney ’ s CEO Bob Iger had been contacted by hackers who were threatening to release one of the studio ’ s movies onto the internet unless a ransom was paidAttack.Ransom. Iger didn ’ t say what movie the hackers claimed to have stolenAttack.Databreach, but it was widely thought to be the soon to be released “ Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Men Tell No Tales. ” That theory of the hacked movie ’ s identity certainly gained more momentum when it was reported that torrents had been spotted on Pirate Bay claiming to be the blockbuster starring Johnny Depp , Javier Bardem and Geoffrey Rush . However , none of those downloadable torrents were confirmed to contain the “ Pirates of the Caribbean ” movie . And in a video interview with Yahoo Finance , Disney ’ s CEO debunked claims that a movie had ever been stolenAttack.Databreach: “ To our knowledge we were not hacked . We had a threat of a hackAttack.Databreachof a movie being stolenAttack.Databreach. We decided to take it seriously but not react in the manner in which the person who was threatening us had required . We don ’ t believe that it was real and nothing has happened. ” In short , Disney says that it was not accurate that a movie was ever stolenAttack.Databreach, and it refused to pay the ransom demandAttack.Ransomto the extortionists . And that , in itself , may be a lesson for other companies to keep a cool head when they receive an extortion demandAttack.Ransomclaiming that intellectual property or sensitive data has been stolenAttack.Databreachby hackers . Obviously all threats should be taken seriously , and you should explore appropriately whether it is possible a security breach has genuinely occurred , review the security of your systems , and inform law enforcement agencies as appropriate . But don ’ t be too quick to payAttack.Ransomthe criminals who are making threats against you . If you can , seek evidence that the hackers have what they claim to have , rather than reaching first for your wallets . It ’ s perfectly possible that some extortionists are simply jumping on the bandwagon of high profile hacks in an attempt to trick you into believing your company is the latest victim . Keep a cool head when your company receives a threat , or else you might find yourself in deep water , swimming with the hungry fishes .
Remember when all you had to worry about with your car is getting an oil change every 3,000 miles . Today ’ s connected cars are miles ahead technologically speaking of those “ dumb ” vehicles , but drivers could see a bumpy ride if thieves get a hold of the data the car possesses . The Internet of Things ( IoT ) has created an entirely new market in the automotive industry with connected car services that are driving new recurring revenue growth and transforming the industry . And that trajectory is expected to continue , growing from $ 13.6 to top $ 42 billion by 2022 . Vehicles contain critical personal information such as personal contacts , registration and insurance details , financial information and even the address to the owner 's home – making entry , theft and further damage even more of a possibility . Vehicles have become an extension of one ’ s connected self and the technology associated with them offers substantial benefits . With the emergence of sophisticated technology , the nature of vehicle theft has changed . A major adversary of today ’ s vehicle owner is a smarter , connected and more targeted network of criminals , known as ‘ Connected Vehicle Thieves ’ . LoJack , provider of vehicle theft recovery and advanced fleet management solutions , shows how these New Age thieves can take advantage of the technology in vehicles . Vehicle-enabled ransomAttack.Ransom: One growing and increasingly lucrative type of cybercrime is the use of ransomware , where inserted malware encrypts digital data and instructs a victim to payAttack.Ransomthe criminal a ransomAttack.Ransomto restore the decrypted information . With the emergence of the connected car and vehicles being used as WiFi hot spots , vehicle-enabled ransomware is a predictable next step for hackers , exploiting this new avenue to commit digital “kidnapping”Attack.Ransom. For example , in the near future , they could easily break into a vehicle , disable the engine and brakes , and demand bitcoinAttack.Ransomto restore the car to its functional state . Scanner boxes as smart keys : Thieves have begun carrying scanner boxes , or devices that can exploit the electronic system utilized by key fobs . These criminals can then unlock , and even start , a vehicle without even touching the key . Once the key comes in close enough range to the scanner box and is compromised . Data leading to identity theft : These days , connected cars carry more information and personal data than ever before , making identity theft a more serious threat . Thieves are targeting your vehicle , but also the data within it , which could lead to credit card details , location information , Social Security numbers , and personal IDs like drivers ’ licenses . Once this information is obtainedAttack.Databreach, it ’ s possible for a hacker to access any of your online accounts .
That 's the question posed by a novel piece of ransomware that challenges victims to achieve a high score in a video game instead of demanding cashAttack.Ransomto unlock files . `` Minamitsu 'The Captain ' Murasa encrypted your precious data like documents , musics [ sic ] , pictures , and some kinda project files , '' a pop-up from the malware , called Resenware , reads . Research focused Twitter account MalwareHunterTeam tweeted screenshots of Resenware on Thursday . Victims allegedly have to obtain a certain high score on Undefined Fantastic Object—a classic style , Japanese vertical shooter—on LUNATIC difficulty . Resenware 's pop-up claims the malware will detect someone playing Undefined Fantastic Object and their score automatically . MalwareHunterTeam confirmed in a Twitter direct message to Motherboard that the malware does indeed check that the game is running . But if someone did get infected by Resenware , they may want to quickly grab a copy—one Amazon listing only has three copies of Undefined Fantastic Object in stock . `` Shmup enthusiasts who hunger for something new being brought to the table in terms of gameplay mechanics will be disappointed , but those enthusiasts seeking a challenge sure wo n't be ! '' a very enthusiastic fan wrote about a demo version of the game back in 2009 . A YouTube clip allegedly shows someone playing a stage of the game on LUNATIC difficulty , and , well , it gets pretty intense . `` DO NO TRY CHEATING OR TERMINATE THIS APPLICATION IF YOU DO N'T WANT TO BLOW UP THE ENCRYPTION KEY , '' the pop-up continues . According to MalwareHunterTeam , there are no consequences from editing your score from within the game , a flaw that prompted the Resenware author to release a tool to remove the malware , along with an apology . `` Ransomeware [ sic ] is defentely kind of highly fatal malware , but I made it , '' the creator wrote , according to a screenshot posted by MalwareHunterTeam
S amSam ransomware attacks Attack.Ransomare on the rise and operators a re demanding Attack.Ransommore than ever from their victims , researchers have warned . Ransomware , a kind of malware which locks infected systems , encrypts files and d emands a payment Attack.Ransomin return for decryption , can be debilitating for businesses . Without access to core networks and systems , many firms and organizations w ill pay up Attack.Ransomrather than suffer through disruption which can be far more costly in the long run . Consumers also face the same issue , albeit on a personal scale , and while security experts caution that paying up only funds this kind of cybercrime , losing access to your files , photos , and media can be devastating . When p ayment demands Attack.Ransomare a few hundred dollars or so , victims may be more inclined to p ay the fee.Attack.RansomHowever , the SamSam ransomware i s now demanding Attack.Ransomfar more than the average person would be able to raise . Written in C # , SamSam is usually installed after an unpatched , known server vulnerability i s exploited.Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerabilityIt is believed the threat actors behind the ransomware are relatively new to e xtortion,Attack.Ransomhaving spent the last few years gradually scaling up t heir demands.Attack.RansomThe ransomware caught the attention of the FBI last year , resulting in two alerts being issued . `` MSIL or Samas ( SAMSAM ) was used to compromise the networks of multiple US victims , including 2016 attacks on healthcare facilities that were running outdated versions of the JBoss content management application , '' the FBI says . `` SAMSAM exploits vulnerable Java-based Web servers . SAMSAM uses open-source tools to identify and compile a list of hosts reporting to the victim 's active directory . '' `` The actors then use psexec.exe to distribute the malware to each host on the network and encrypt most of the files on the system , '' the FBI added . `` The actors c harge Attack.Ransomvarying amounts in Bitcoin to provide the decryption keys to the victim . '' According to AlientVault researchers , the ransomware is more akin to a targeted attack than opportunistic ransomware . After being installed on one machine , the ransomware propagates and spreads to any others in the network . SamSam attacks can result in web shell deployment , batch script usage for running the malware over multiple machines , remote access , and tunneling . The ransomware has recently been updated , and will now d emand Attack.Ransomdifferent p ayments Attack.Ransomdepending on the scope of infection . If one machine has been infected , 1.7 Bitcoin ( BTC ) , roughly $ 4,600 , i s demanded.Attack.RansomIf more machines are locked by the ransomware , half will be decrypted for 6 BTC ( $ 16,400 ) , and for all of them , a total of 12 BTC , or $ 32,800 , i s demanded.Attack.RansomLast week 's a ttacks Attack.Ransomappear to have been successful , with $ 33,000 b eing paid Attack.Ransomto a Bitcoin wallet associated with SamSam . While SamSam is not the most sophisticated kind of ransomware out there , the successful exploit of victims reminds us that this malware is out in the wild . Like so many other kinds of ransomware , however , keeping systems patched and up-to-date can prevent infection . An NYC hospital w as forced Attack.Ransomto either p ay Attack.Ransom$ 44,000 to SamSam operators or lose access to their systems after a successful infection . However , the organization refused to capitulate to the hacker 's d emands Attack.Ransomand instead endured a month of disruption before the hospital 's systems were restored . Another ransomware variant which has hit the headlines is WannaCry . After striking down hospitals and businesses across the globe , the Windows-based malware is yet to finish its rampage , with an estimated 300,000 victims worldwide .
PhishingAttack.Phishingis one of the most devious scams for filching your personal information , but experts say it is possible to avoid them if you know what you 're looking for . At its essence , phishingAttack.Phishingis the act of pretending to beAttack.Phishingsomeone or something you trust in order to trickAttack.Phishingyou into entering sensitive data like your user name and password . The goal -- of course -- is to take your money . Some of the most common phishing scamsAttack.Phishingare bogus emails purportedly from trustworthy institutions like the U.S.Internal Revenue Service or major banks . The more sophisticated scams are crafted to look very much likeAttack.Phishinga legitimate message from a site you do business with . “ Many popular phishing scamsAttack.Phishingpurport to beAttack.Phishingfrom shipping companies , e-commerce companies , social networking websites , financial institutions , tax-preparation companies and some of the world ’ s most notable companies , ” said Norton by Symantec senior security response manager Satnam Narang via email . One of the worst cases on record was an aircraft parts CEO who was trickedAttack.Phishinginto handing over more than $ 55 million – which shows that phishing scamsAttack.Phishingcan dupeAttack.Phishingeven smart people . Fox News asked Symantec about the top phishing scamsAttack.Phishingand how to avoid them . 1 . Your account has been or will be locked , disabled or suspended . `` Scare tactics are a common theme when it comes to phishing scamsAttack.Phishing, '' said Narang . `` Claiming a users ’ account has been or will be locked or disabled is a call to action to the user to enticeAttack.Phishingthem to provide their login credentials . '' 2 . Irregular/fraudulent activity detected or your account requires a `` security '' update . `` Extending off of # 1 , scammers will also claim irregular or fraudulent activity has been detected on your account or that your account has been subjected to a compulsory 'security update ' and you need to login to enable this security update , '' Narang said . 3 . You ’ ve received a secure or important message . `` This type of phishing scamAttack.Phishingis often associated with financial institutions , but we have also seen some claiming to beAttack.Phishingfrom a popular e-commerce website , '' said Narang . `` Because financial institutions don ’ t send customer details in emails , the premise is that users will be more inclined to click on a link or open an attachment if it claims to beAttack.Phishinga secure or important message . '' 4 . Tax-themed phishing scamsAttack.Phishing. `` Each year , tax-themed phishing scamsAttack.Phishingcrop up before tax-time in the U.S. and other countries , '' Narang added . `` These tax-related themes can vary from updating your filing information , your eligibility to receive a tax refund or warnings that you owe money . One thing that ’ s for sure is that the IRS doesn ’ t communicate via email or text message , they still send snail mail . '' 5 . Attachment-based phishingAttack.Phishingwith a variety of themes . `` Another trend we have observed in recent years is that scammers are using the luresAttack.Phishingmentioned above , but instead of providing a link to an external website , they are attaching an HTML page and asking users to open this 'secure page ' that requests login credentials and financial information , '' according to Narang . Avast , which also develop antivirus software and internet security services , offered advice on what to look for . Ransomware , which encrypts data ( i.e. , makes it inaccessible to the user ) , tries to tap into the same fears that phishingAttack.Phishingdoes . The hope that the “ attacked person will panic , and pay the ransomAttack.Ransom, ” Jonathan Penn , Director of Strategy at Avast , told Fox News .
Austal , which is based in Henderson , Western Australia , is one of the country 's largest shipbuilders ; it has built vessels for the U.S. Navy . The company , which is listed on Australia 's ASX stock exchange , announced the breach late Thursday . The announcement came just a day after a security researcher in France postedAttack.Databreachscreenshots on Twitter of the purported stolen data . Austal says the material is neither sensitive nor classified and that it has taken steps to secure its data systems. `` The data breachAttack.Databreachhas had no impact on Austal 's ongoing operations , '' the company says . Austal 's business in the United States is unaffected by this issue , as the computer systems are not linked . A spokesman for Austal contacted on Friday says he could n't offer further information on the incident . The breachAttack.DatabreachexposedAttack.Databreachship design drawings that are distributed to customers , fabrication subcontractors and suppliers , Austal says . It also exposedAttack.Databreach`` some staff email addresses and mobile phone numbers . '' Those individuals have been informed as well as a `` small number '' of other stakeholders directly impacted by the breach , the company reports . Austal has contacted the Australian Cyber Security Center and the Australian Federal Police . The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner , which enforces the country 's data protection regulations `` will be involved as required , '' Austal says . Companies are increasingly being subjected to ransomsAttack.Ransomby hackers after their networks have been breachedAttack.Databreach. RansomsAttack.Ransomput companies in tough positions : risk public exposure of potentially embarrassing data , or risk paying a ransomAttack.Ransomand still face a chance the data could be released anyway . Security experts and law enforcement generally advise against paying ransomsAttack.Ransom, even after incidents of file-encrypting malware . But some companies have viewed the situation as either a cost of doing business or a shorter route to recovery . Late last month in the U.S , the city of West Haven , Connecticut , paidAttack.Ransom$ 2,000 to unlock 23 servers that had been infected with ransomware ( see : Connecticut City Pays RansomAttack.RansomAfter Crypto-Locking Attack ) . The city 's attorney , Lee Tiernan , was quoted by the Associated Press as saying `` research showed it was the best course of action . '' If the city did n't have a backup file , it may have had little choice .
As one victim discovered this Christmas , figuring out how to clean such an infection can be quite difficult . Ransomware for Android phones has already been around for several years and security experts have warned in the past that it 's only a matter of time until such malicious programs start affecting smart TVs , especially since some of them also run Android . In November 2015 , a Symantec researcher named Candid Wueest even went as far as to infect his own TV with an Android ransomware application to highlight the threat . While that infection was just a demonstration , this Christmas , the owner of an LG Electronics TV experienced the real deal . Kansas-based software developer Darren Cauthon reported on Twitter on Dec. 25 that a family member accidentally infected his Android-based TV with ransomware after downloading a movie-watching app . The picture shared by Cauthon showed the TV screen with an FBI-themed ransom message . On Android the majority of ransomware applications are so-called screen lockers . They work by displaying persistent messages on the phone 's screen and preventing users from performing any other actions on their devices . The messages usually impersonateAttack.Phishingsome law enforcement authority and askAttack.Ransomvictims to payAttack.Ransomfictitious fines to regain control . Cauthon , who was the previous owner of the three-year-old TV , tried to help the new owner restore the device to its default factory settings , but did n't succeed even after receiving many suggestions and advice from other Twitter users . According to the software developer , when he first contacted LG 's tech support , he was told that a technician would have to come over and take a look for a fee of around $ 340 . The ransom amount itself was $ 500 although even payingAttack.Ransomthat would have been difficult because there was no way to click on the payment section to find the instructions on how to do so . The only thing that worked was just moving a mouse-like pointer on a portion of the TV screen via an accompanying smart remote . Eventually LG provided Cauthon with a solution that involved pressing and releasing two physical buttons on the TV in a particular order . This booted the TV , which runs the now defunct Android-based Google TV platform , into a recovery mode . The Android recovery mode allows wiping the data partition , which deletes all user settings , apps and data and is the equivalent of a factory reset . While this sounds straightforward , Cauthon 's experience suggests that many users would have difficulty figuring it out on their own and would probably be forced to pay for technical assistance . If recovering from smart TV ransomware infections can be hard , imagine what users would have to deal with if these programs start infecting other internet-of-things devices , as some security experts predict . In this case , the victim was lucky because the ransomware app was only a screen locker and not a program that encrypts files . Smart TVs have USB ports and allow connecting external hard disk drives in order to watch personal videos or photo collections -- the type of files that are valuable to users , especially if they 're not backed up
Ransomware will continue to dominate the cyber security landscape , with a new report from security specialists ESET forecasting the ‘ year of ransomware ’ will continue into 2017 . ESET ’ s Trends 2017 : Security held ransom presents key cyber security topics of relevance for both businesses and consumers about the latest threats taking shape in the new year and identifies ransomware as a key threat to protect against . The report suggests ransomware will continue en masse . “ We anticipate a new trend on the horizon : The Ransomware of Things or RoT , i.e . the possibility of cybercriminals “ hijacking ” devices such as home security cameras and then demanding a ransom paymentAttack.Ransomin exchange for restoring control to the user , ” ESET says in the report . Nick FitzGerald , senior research fellow at ESET agrees that ransomware attacksAttack.Ransomwill continue to increase in ANZ throughout 2017 . “ Ransomware was a serious security problem throughout 2016 . ESET takes no joy from having been on the right side of that prediction , nor in predicting that ongoing ransomware developments and ensuing success for the cybercriminals behind it seems likely to continue apace into 2017 , ” FitzGerald says . “ As wealthy markets , Australia and New Zealand are often targeted in ransomware campaignsAttack.Ransom, and online users should continue to be especially wary of unsolicited email with attachments or URLs , and ‘ too good to be true ’ offers , ” he says . According to FitzGerald , with the cost of cybercrime rising more than 200 % over the past five years alone , ESET assembled the report to not only help businesses and individuals understand the advanced tactics and techniques employed by criminal hackers , but to safeguard against threats in the coming year . “ Considering the adverse reputational as well as financial impacts which result from cybercrime , it is critical that all users are aware of the types of attacks that can affect them , ” he says . “ The report also highlights the importance of continual education as one of the essential components for staying safe online and offers its readers simple steps for raising one ’ s level of awareness ” .
The hackers could then lock these computers up and demand a ransomAttack.Ransomor else cause a blackout or poison the city 's water . While that 's a scary scenario , it fortunately has n't happened—yet . But a group of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology warn that could change very soon , and to prove it they have developed and tested in their lab a working proof of concept ransomware that specifically targets three types of PLCs . In their scenario , a group of cybercriminals targets PLCs that are exposed online and infects them with custom malware designed to reprogram the tiny computer with a new password , locking out the legitimate owners . The hackers then alert the owner , asking for a ransomAttack.Ransom. `` Ransomware '' is a specific type of malicious software that infects computers and locks or encrypts their content , demanding a ransomAttack.Ransomto return the machines to their original state . It 's been extremely popular in the last couple of years , and is often successful because it 's usually easier for victims to pay the ransomAttack.Ransomthan try to decrypt the files on their own . Initially , ransomware targeted regular internet users indiscriminately , but there have already been cases of attacks against hospitals , hotels and other businesses . ( And there will soon be attacks on Internet of Things too ) Thus , the researchers argue , it 's inevitable that criminals will soon target critical infrastructure directly . Beyah and his colleagues David Formby and Srikar Durbha searched the internet for the two models of PLCs that they attacked in the lab and found more 1,500 that were exposed online . With their research , Beyah said , the three hope that industrial control systems administrators will start adopting common security practices such as changing the PLCs default passwords , putting them behind a firewall , and scanning the networks for potential intruders . If they do n't , they might find their systems locked , and the consequence could spill into the physical world .
A ransomware threat called SLocker , which accounted for one-fifth of Android malware attacks in 2015 , is back with avengeance , according to security firm Wandera . SLocker encrypts images , documents and videos on Android devices and demands a ransomAttack.Ransomto decrypt the files . Once the malware is executed , it runs in the background of a user 's device without their knowledge or consent . Once it has encrypted files on the phone , the malware hijacks the device , blocking the user 's access , and attempts to intimidate them into paying a ransomAttack.Ransomto unlock it . Last year , security company Bitdefender said that ransomware was the largest malware risk to Android users in the second half of 2015 - with SLocker accounting for 22 per cent of Android malware threats in the UK in that period . The malware also topped the ransomware charts in Germany and Australia , and Bitdefender claimed that 44 per cent of Android users it asked had already paid out a ransomAttack.Ransomin order to regain access to their devices . The malware continued to cause problems and , in mid-2016 , its attacksAttack.Ransomwere estimated to have resulted in tens of millions of dollars in ransoms paidAttack.Ransom. Weeks after the initial wave of attacks , security companies patchedVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilitythe issue for their enterprise customers , devices were updatedVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilityand the threat disappeared . That is until now . Mobile security firm Wandera said that its mobile intelligence engine MI : RIAM had detected more than 400 variants of the same malware . It said that these strains were targeting businesses ' mobile fleets through easily accessible third-party app stores and websites where security checks are not as rigorous as they ought to be . According to Wandera , the variants have been redesigned and repackaged to avoid all known detection techniques . `` They utilise a wide variety of disguises including altered icons , package names , resources and executable files in order to evade signature-based detection , '' the company said . Third-party app stores and unknown vendors should be avoided by Android users , while corporate administrators should be wary of SLocker returning and put in place security measures to monitor devices accordingly .
By now , you may have heard that a hacking organization identifying itself as the Turkish Crime Family has gone hunting for a very big fish : It said that it has credentials for hundreds of millions of Apple accounts of various sorts ( including email and iCloud ) , and it ’ s threatening to wipe all of the iPhones in the cache unless a hefty ransom is paidAttack.Ransom. The group is asking forAttack.Ransomeither $ 75,000 in Bitcoin or $ 100,000 in iTunes gift cards before the April 7 deadline . Turkish Crime Family ( let ’ s call them TCF ) was first reported by Vice ’ s Motherboard as having 559 million total accounts—and other reports say there are either 200 million or 300 million vulnerable iPhone accounts . Regardless of the number , it ’ s a lot—and on the surface the news , if TCF really does have those credentials , would indicate that Apple has suffered a major data breachAttack.Databreach. Apple said in a media statement : “ There have not been any breachesAttack.Databreachin any of Apple ’ s systems including iCloud and Apple ID . The alleged list of email addresses and passwords appears to have been obtainedAttack.Databreachfrom previously compromisedAttack.Databreachthird-party services . We 're actively monitoring to prevent unauthorized access to user accounts and are working with law enforcement to identify the criminals involved . To protect against these type of attacks , we always recommend that users always use strong passwords , not use those same passwords across sites and turn on two-factor authentication . '' Which means that the danger , if it does exist , isn ’ t new for these Apple users . And indeed , many of the accounts could be defunct : Some of the addresses are @ mac.com and @ me.com addresses , which could be almost two decades old . Motherboard confirmed a back-and-forth conversation between the hackers and Apple security teams , but TCF has yet to publicly provide solid proof of how and what information they have , besides a YouTube video ( now removed ) that Motherboard said shows someone logging into an iCloud account . Meanwhile , ZDNet said that it was able to get a data sample of 54 allegedly breached accounts from TCF—finding that they were all legitimate email addresses . The outlet also reached 10 users that said the listed pilfered passwords were correct . John Bambenek , threat systems manager of Fidelis Cybersecurity , said that he ’ s skeptical about the hacker group ’ s claims , noting that there are always people who make unfounded threats to organizations in the hope of an easy payday—or notoriety . “ The hacker group is not following what ’ s become typical operating procedure , ” he said via email . “ For example , if this were a real ransomware attackAttack.Ransom, they would be communicating privately with the company they are targeting . Based on previous incidents , the current threat has all the hallmarks of a stunt . If they really have the ability to wipe iPhones then they would have wiped a few already as ‘ proof of life ’ ” . But that said , do consumers really want to roll the dice with their pictures and other information on the phone ? Lamar Bailey , director of security research and development for Tripwire , said via email that the hackers may have indeed been able to meticulously assemble a cohesive database of previously stolenAttack.DatabreachApple credentials by making use of various former data breachesAttack.Databreachof sources outside of Apple—this is a good highlight once again of the widespread problem of password re-use . It would have required a large effort , but he noted that it could be done . “ If this is legit , the hackers would have had to obtain accessAttack.Databreachto the individual user accounts via breaking the passwords of each of the user accounts or have acquired access to the Apple iCloud servers , ” he said . “ The access to each user account is much more realistic since we have seen numerous reports of all the weak passwords people use for their computers and accounts ” . And , he added , if the hackers have password access to individual user accounts , they can indeed erase phones remotely and change passwords for the Apple account . “ The hackers can not remove backups for Apple devices from the cloud , but changing the passwords will make it hard for the legitimate users to reset and recover their devices , ” he noted . “ Once the end-user has access to their account , they will be able to restore their device ” . Apple users—and indeed all users of any online-facing service—should make sure they ’ re using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication as an added protection . “ Having a local backup of your device is always a good idea too . It is faster to restore a device locally than over the internet , and having a small NAS ( Network Attached Storage ) device at home for pictures and backups is a good investment to supplement the cloud backups , ” Bailey added
Victims of one the newest - and most unusual - families of ransomware could now be able to recover their files without giving into the demandsAttack.Ransomof criminals because decryption tools have been released for free . A GandCrab ransomware decryption tool has been released as part of the No More Ransom initiative , following a combined operation by Bitdefender , the Romanian Police , the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism ( DIICOT ) and Europol . GandGrab first appeared in January and has already claimed over 53,000 victims around the world , making it what Europol describe as `` one of the most aggressive forms of ransomware so far this year '' costingAttack.Ransomeach victim anything from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand . This variant of the file-locking malware is unusual in a number of ways : not only is it spread via the use of exploit kits - a tactic usually reserved for the likes of trojans and cryptocurrency miners - it is also the first form of ransomware to ask for paymentsAttack.Ransomin Dash . Most other forms of ransomware demand the ransomAttack.Ransombe paidAttack.Ransomin bitcoin or Monero . The spread of GandGrab has also been helped along by a cybercrime-as-a-service scheme which offers a toolkit for deploying the ransomware in exchange for wannabee crooks giving the original authors a cut of their profits . It 's unknown which specific cybercriminal operation is behind GandGrab . However , the ransomware is advertised on Russian hacking forums , with the authors explicitly instructing those who become a part of the partnership scheme not to target Russia or any other country in the Commonwealth of Independent States of former Soviet republics . But regardless of who might be distributing GandCrab , now victims do n't need to pay a ransomAttack.Ransomto those looking to cash in on it , because the decryption tool is available for free from the No More Ransom portal and from Bitdefender . `` Ransomware has become a billion-dollar cash cow for malware authors , and GandCrab is one of the highest bidders , '' said Catalin Cosoi , senior director of the investigation and forensics unit at Bitdefender . In order to help prevent falling victim to ransomware , Bitdefender recommends regularly back-up sensitive data and to be wary of suspicious email attachments and malicious links . Launched in 2016 , the No More RansomAttack.Ransomscheme brings law enforcement and private industry together in the fight against cybercrime and has helped thousands of ransomware victims retrieve their encrypted files without lining the pockets of crooks . The portal is available in 29 languages and since its launch has has received over 1.6 million visitors from a total of 180 countries . The release of GandCrab decryption tools comes shortly after an operation involving Europol , the Belgian National Police and Kaspersky Lab led to the release of free decryption tools for Cryakl ransomware .
E-Sports Entertainment Association ( ESEA ) , one of the largest competitive video gaming communities on the planet , was hacked last December . As a result , a database containing 1.5 million player profiles was compromised . On Sunday , ESEA posted a message to Twitter , reminding players of the warning issued on December 30 , 2016 , three days after they were informed of the hack . Sunday ’ s message said the leak of player informationAttack.Databreachwas expected , but they ’ ve not confirmed if the leaked recordsAttack.Databreachcame from their systems . Late Saturday evening , breach notification service LeakedSource announced the addition of 1,503,707 ESEA records to their database . When asked for additional information by Salted Hash , a LeakedSource spokesperson shared the database schema , as well as sample records pulled at random from the database . Learn about top security certifications : Who they 're for , what they cost , and which you need . However , in all , there are more than 90 fields associated with a given player record in the ESEA database . While the passwords are safe , the other data points in the leaked records could be used to construct a number of socially-based attacks , including PhishingAttack.Phishing. Players on Reddit have confirmed their information was discovered in the leaked data . A similar confirmation was made Twitch ’ s Jimmy Whisenhunt on Twitter . The LeakedSource spokesperson said that the ESEA hack was part of a ransom schemeAttack.Ransom, as the hacker responsible demandedAttack.Ransom$ 50,000 in paymentAttack.Ransom. In exchange for meeting their demands , the hacker would keep silent about the ESEA hack and help the organization address the security flaw that made it possible . In their previous notification , ESEA said they learned about the incidentAttack.Databreachon December 27 , but make no mention of any related extortion attemptsAttack.Ransom. The organization reset passwords , multi-factor authentication tokens , and security questions as part of their recovery efforts . We ’ ve reached out to confirm the extortion attemptAttack.Ransomclaims made by the hacker , as well as the total count for players affected by the data breachAttack.Databreach. In an emailed statement , a spokesperson for ESL Gaming ( parent company to Turtle Entertainment ) confirmed that the hacker did in fact attempt to extort moneyAttack.Ransom, but the sum demandedAttack.Ransomwas `` substantially higher '' than the $ 50,000 previously mentioned . The company refused to give into the extortion demandsAttack.Ransom, and went public with details before the hacker could publish anything . The statement also confirms the affected user count of 1.5 million , and stressed the point that ESEA passwords were hashed with bcrypt . When it comes to the profile fields , where more than 90 data points are listed , ESL Gaming says those are optional data points for profile settings . `` We take the security and integrity of customer details very seriously and we are doing everything in our power to investigate this incident , establish precisely what has been taken , and make changes to our systems to mitigate any further breaches . The authorities ( FBI ) were also informed and we will do everything possible to facilitate the investigation of this attack , '' the message from ESL Gaming concluded . `` Based on the proof provided to us by the threat actor of possessionAttack.Databreachof the stolen data , we were able to identify the scope of the data that was accessedAttack.Databreach. While the primary concern and focus was on personal data , some of ESEA ’ s internal infrastructure including configuration settings of game server hardware specifications , as well as game server IPs was also accessibleAttack.Databreach. Due to the ongoing investigation , we prioritized customer user data first , '' the statement explains . In the days that followed that initial contact , ESEA worked to secure their systems , and the hacker kept making demands . On January 7 , ESEA learned the hacker also exfiltratedAttack.Databreachintellectual property from the compromised servers
SOUTH BEND — A local physicians network was the focus of a recent cyberattack that released ransomware into its network . According to a news release from Allied Physicians of Michiana CEO Shery Roussarie , the company became aware of the cyberattack on Thursday afternoon and immediately took steps to shut down the network in order to protect personal and protected health information of patients . The company restored its data in a secure format without significant disruption to patients , but an investigation is ongoing to confirm that personal or protected health information wasn ’ t compromisedAttack.Databreach. The type of ransomware , known as SamSam , has been used in other attacks to coerce businesses , municipalities and individuals to pay a ransomAttack.Ransomin order to unlock files held hostage by the infection . In March , the city of Atlanta was attackedAttack.Ransomby SamSam ransomware that crippled its court system , prevented water bill payments and forced city employees to file paper reports . “ The security of our patients ’ personal and protected health information is foremost in our mind ” Roussarie said in the news release . “ While we make every effort to keep ahead of these types of cyberattacks , we have nevertheless taken additional steps to minimize any such future attack of the type experienced last week. ” Allied Physicians would not say whether or not it has paid a ransomAttack.Ransom, or what amount was demandedAttack.Ransomby the SamSam hackers , but that it plans to work with “ all relevant regulatory agencies , including the FBI , to thoroughly define the scope of the incident . ”
A popular horse racing website ( Racingpulse.in ) that operates out of Bangalore , India was reportedly hacked on Tuesday . The hackers postedAttack.Ransoma statement on the home page informing that the entire data on the website has been encrypted . As is the norm , they also informed about what they expected as ransomAttack.Ransom. The ransom note suggested that they were expectingAttack.Ransomransom amountAttack.Ransomin Bitcoins while the amount to be paid was not disclosed clearly . The message also included an email address for further communication , which was registered at india.com . The hackers offered Racingpulse.in an unimaginable favor by providing decryption key of a maximum of three files which should not be more than 10mb in size for free . This was probably done to prove that they did hack all the files on the site . The note read : “ All your files have been encrypted : All your files have been encrypted due to a security problem with your PC . If you want to restore them , write us to the e-mail mkgoro @ india.com , You have to payAttack.Ransomfor decryption in Bitcoins . After payment , we will send you the decryption tool that will decrypt all your files . “ Free decryption as a guarantee : Before paying you can send to us up to 3 files for free decryption . The message contained a link to the beginners ’ guide to Bitcoins too . “ How to obtain Bitcoins : The easiest way to buy bitcoins is LocalBitcoins site . You have to register , click ‘ Buy bitcoins ’ , and select the seller by payment method and price . The ransomware used in this attackAttack.Ransomis a new version of Dharma Ransomware Trojan . In the ransom note , hackers have provided the email address mkgoro @ india.com , which is a contact email for the victims to facilitate communication with them . According to security researchers , this new version of Dharma works just like the older version using unsolicited emails . These emails contain social network logos , bank information , payment portals and an option to download and open a file . The previous two attacks were countered by using backup files , said Kumar . “ We have now decided to move to another server in the hope of better security , it may take a day for the site to be up and running , ” revealed Kumar .
Officials based at the City of Del Rio , in Texas , were forced to abandon electronic services and switch to pen and paper after a ransomware attackAttack.Ransomeffectively closed down City Hall servers . City representatives disclosed the cyberattack last week . The city was struckAttack.Ransomby the ransomware on Thursday , leading to all servers being disabled to prevent further spread . Del Rio 's Management Information Services ( MIS ) department then attempted to isolate the malware by turning off all Internet connections for other city departments . In turn , this prevented any members of staff from logging into government systems . As a result , employees of each department were forced to use pen and paper in their work and go back to manual entry for transactions taking place -- as and when they could considering there was no access to historical records -- while the ransomware was contained . City officials have informed the FBI of the cyberattack and the Secret Service has now become involved in attempts to find out who is responsible . It is not known at present who is behind the ransomware , what kind of malware is at fault , or whether or not any personal data has been compromisedAttack.Databreach. The Texan city has also not revealed how much the ransomware demanded in paymentAttack.Ransom, as is usually the case with this particular form of malware . RansomsAttack.Ransomare usually requested in return for a decryption key -- which may or may not work -- in order to unlock encrypted systems and restore access . However , a Del Rio City Hall spokeswoman did reveal that the malware is somewhat unusual , as the ransom note posted to roughly 30 - 45 PCs contained a phone number to be used to pay the blackmailAttack.Ransomfee . Most of the time , a note will be posted on a landing page containing instructions for paying ransomAttack.Ransomin cryptocurrency and victims will be given a wallet address , rather than a means to directly call the malware 's operator . `` The City is diligently working on finding the best solution to resolve this situation and restore the system , '' an official statement reads . `` We ask the public to be patient with us as we may be slower in processing requests at this time . ''
A day after a Navi Mumbai hospital and hotel became targets of a ransomware attackAttack.Ransom, cyber fraudsters encrypted data belonging to a Dadar-based chartered accountant and demanded moneyAttack.Ransomto remove the block on the data on Monday . While the incidentAttack.Ransomtook place on Monday , the complainant , realised that his data has been blocked on Tuesday . “ A case of ransomware was reported , following which , an FIR has been registered at the Bhoiwada police station , ” said Deputy Commissioner of Police ( Zone 4 ) N Ambika . While the FIR was lodged on Thursday , no arrest has been made in the case yet . Police said the incidentAttack.Ransomtook place on Monday at the complainant ’ s office near Framroz court in Dadar . Around 2.15 pm , a message flashed on the complainant ’ s computer screen saying , “ You have to payAttack.Ransomfor decryption in bitcoins . The price depends on how fast you write to us . After payment , we will send you the decryption key , which will decrypt all your files. ” The message also had an email address , on which he was to write to the fraudsters . Around 7 pm , when the complainant tried to use a computer for some work , he could not access the data . When he tried other computers , he faced the same problem . He also found that some data and software had been deleted . Suspecting that a computer virus may be behind this , he copied the other files still available from the computer . The complainant then left for the day and asked an employee from the information technology department to look into the matter . The employee later told him that the data had not been deleted but encrypted by fraudsters . On Sunday , the MGM hospital in Navi Mumbai was attackedAttack.Ransomby a ransomware . Its data was locked out and the fraudsters demanded paymentAttack.Ransomin bitcoins .
`` There have not been any breachesAttack.Databreachin any of Apple 's systems including iCloud and Apple ID , '' an Apple representative said in an emailed statement . `` The alleged list of email addresses and passwords appears to have been obtainedAttack.Databreachfrom previously compromisedAttack.Databreachthird-party services . '' A group calling itself the Turkish Crime Family claims to have login credentials for more than 750 million icloud.com , me.com and mac.com email addresses , and the group says more than 250 million of those credentials provide access to iCloud accounts that do n't have two-factor authentication turned on . The hackers want Apple to payAttack.Ransom$ 700,000 -- $ 100,000 per group member -- or `` $ 1 million worth in iTunes vouchers . '' Otherwise , they threaten to start wiping data from iCloud accounts and devices linked to them on April 7 . In a message published on Pastebin Thursday , the group said it also asked forAttack.Ransomother things from Apple , but they do n't want to make public . `` We 're actively monitoring to prevent unauthorized access to user accounts and are working with law enforcement to identify the criminals involved , '' the Apple representative said . `` To protect against these type of attacks , we recommend that users always use strong passwords , not use those same passwords across sites and turn on two-factor authentication . '' However , the unusually high numbers advanced by the group are hard to believe . It 's also hard to keep up with the group 's claims , as at various times over the past few days , it has released conflicting or incomplete information that it has later revised or clarified . The group claims that it started out with a database of more than 500 million credentials that it has put together over the past few years by extractingAttack.Databreachthe icloud.com , me.com and mac.com accounts from stolen databases its members have soldAttack.Databreachon the black market . The hackers also claim that since they 've made their ransomAttack.Ransomrequest public a few days ago , others have joined in their effort and shared even more credentials with them , putting the number at more than 750 million . The group claims to be using 1 million high-quality proxy servers to verify how many of the credentials give them access to unprotected iCloud accounts . Apple provides two-factor authentication for iCloud , and accounts with the option turned on are protected even if their password is compromisedAttack.Databreach. The latest number of accessible iCloud accounts advanced by the Turkish Crime Family is 250 million . That 's an impressive ratio of one in every three tested accounts . The largest ever data breachAttack.Databreachwas from Yahoo with a reported 1 billion accounts . `` At best they ’ ve got some reused credentials , but I wouldn ’ t be surprised if it ’ s almost entirely a hoax . '' Hunt has n't seen the actual data that the Turkish Crime Family claims to have , and there is n't much evidence aside from a YouTube video showing a few dozen email addresses and plain text passwords . However , he has significant experience with validating data breachesAttack.Databreachand has seen many bogus hacker claims over the years . To be on the safe side , users should follow Apple 's advice and create a strong password for their account and turn on two-factor authentication or two-step verification at the very least
Valentine ’ s Day is fast-approaching and the story goes that if Cupid hits you with his golden arrow you ’ ll fall madly in love . But there are other actors taking aim at you on Valentine ’ s Day whose arrows you need to avoid as the outcomes aren ’ t nearly as desirable . Think back to early February 2016 , when many online florists experienced a surge in traffic that wasn ’ t due simply to a rush to buy flowers . Dozens of florists were hitAttack.Ransomby targeted DDoS attacks during their busiest time of the year , causing problems for some and knocking others offline who were asked to pay a ransomAttack.Ransombefore they could resume operations . It ’ s fairly typical for bad actors to escalate extortion-based campaignsAttack.Ransomduring seasonal events when the stakes for targets are high . Looking to profit with minimal investment , attackers exploit known vulnerabilities as they attempt to breach systems . For example , the 2016 Valentine ’ s Day DDoS attacks used Shellshock , a critical vulnerability that ’ s present inVulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerabilityLinux , UNIX and Mac OS X that had been discoveredVulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerabilitymore than a year earlier . Of course , online florists are not alone when it comes to being targeted by cyber criminals . Different times of the year and major news events can trigger a surge in attacks aimed at particular industries and geographies . Organisations need to understand their threat model and apply security processes as appropriate . Threat actors will continue to take advantage of events to launch attacks , but you can avoid their arrows this Valentine ’ s Day .
NHS hospital trusts in England reported 55 cyber attacks in 2016 , according to data obtained by the BBC . The figures come from NHS Digital , which oversees cyber security , and show an increase on 16 attacks in 2015 . NHS Digital said the figures showed a `` rise in reporting , not necessarily a rise in cyber attacks '' . But Oliver Farnan , from the Oxford Cyber Security Centre , said ransomware attacksAttack.Ransomhad become more common . 'The risk is going to increase ' Ransomware is software that locks computer systems and then demands a ransomAttack.Ransomto unlock the data . Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ( OUH ) repelled five ransomware attacksAttack.Ransomin 2016 . `` That is something a number of hospitals have seen and is potentially quite worrying , '' said Dr Chris Bunch from OUH . He added : `` Across the health service we are still to a very large extent paper-based ... and as we move increasingly towards digital records the risk is going to increase . '' Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust reported four ransomware attacksAttack.Ransomin 2016 , and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust sustained three ransomware attacksAttack.Ransomeach last year . No patient data was lost in any of the attacks on the trusts and a spokesperson for Kings College Hospitals Trust said it had a cyber security response plan that it continually reviewed and monitored . Oliver Farnan from the Oxford Cyber Security Centre , said it was hard to know if enough money was being spent on security in the NHS . `` Money is only really spent on security once everything else is up and running and in place ... it always comes second , '' he said . But David Emm , principal security researcher at internet security firm Kaspersky Lab , said basic steps such as backing up data could make a difference . `` Ransomware is a very blunt instrument , if you have a back-up of data then you are not in a position where people can extort moneyAttack.Ransomin that way , '' he said . However , Mr Emm said public bodies faced specific challenges , and added that money was an issue . `` They have lots of people accessing the systems , there is lots of data moving in and out of the organisation , that does actually make it harder to secure that information , '' he said . NHS Digital said it had established CareCERT which issues notices about the national threat level and publishes advice on good practice . It said its launch in October 2015 has contributed to the increase in the reporting of cyber attacks , and that more than 100 organisations had received on-site assessments to improve security .
The engineering firm refused to meet the hackers ’ d emands Attack.Ransomand the Daily Echo understands it lost access to vital data including personal information about its staff , who number around 100 . Businesses have been warned that such ‘ ransomware’ attacks Attack.Ransomare on the rise and that companies need to train all staff to be vigilant . Police said an East Dorset company – which the Echo is not naming – had reported on June 1 that it was the victim of computer fraud . “ It was reported that their computer was hacked and a demand was made Attack.Ransomfor £120,000 , ” a Dorset Police spokeswoman said . “ The victim was referred to Action Fraud to report. ” Ian Girling , chief executive of Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry , said : “ Cyber crime is on the increase and all companies are vulnerable to attack . “ What ’ s really important is that staff are trained because it ’ s quite often staff opening emails and dealing with stuff . Responsibility doesn ’ t just lie with IT departments . All staff need to be aware of the potential threat to the business . “ There are lots of good companies in Dorset to help businesses with this. ” The incident echoes t he WannaCry ransomware attack Attack.Ransomwhich infected an estimated 200,000 computers globally last year , including up to 70,000 in the NHS . Matt Horan , security director of C3IA Solutions in Poole – one of the first companies to be certified by the government ’ s National Cyber Security Centre – said : “ You s hould never pay a ransom Attack.Ransombecause there is no guarantee you will get your data back . During an attack the data doesn ’ t go anywhere , it is just encrypted and you need a decryption key or algorithm to unlock it and get it back . “ If you p ay Attack.Ransoma criminal to return your data there is a good chance that he or she will take the money and not decrypt the data – or even a sk for more money.Attack.Ransom“ It ’ s important to back up all data and to ensure it ’ s backed up without the virus or ransomware in it . Therefore all backups should be virus checked prior to storage off-site. “ You do not want to clean your system of the malware only to re-introduce the same problem from your back-up . It ’ s also important to regularly check the back-up to ensure data can be recovered from it. ” General Sir Chris Deverell , commander of the UK ’ s Joint Forces Command , warned yesterday of cyber threats from abroad , which could target infrastructure such as power stations and air traffic control . “ We must make sure our cyber security is constantly improving , ” he said . “ It ’ s a very important thing and every sector of society is very focused on it . ”
The average ransomware attackAttack.Ransomyielded $ 1,077 last year , new research shows , representing a 266 percent spike from a year earlier . The reason for the landmark year for hackers ? Many ransomware victims readily payAttack.Ransomthe price . The number of attacks , varieties of distinct malware and money lost ballooned as ransomware became one of the top tactics of attackers , according to new research from the security firm Symantec . Some of the most high-profile ransomware incidentsAttack.Ransomof the last year include San Francisco ’ s Muni getting hitAttack.Ransom, Washington D.C. ’ s police department being breachedAttack.Databreachjust before inauguration and a Los Angeles college payingAttack.Ransoma $ 28,000 ransomAttack.Ransom. Hoping to turn the tide against the billion-dollar ransomware industry , last year the FBI urged businesses to alert authorities and not pay upAttack.Ransom. Instead , most keep attacksAttack.Ransoma secret , paying offAttack.Ransomhackers 70 percent of the time . That behavior only increases the sweet spot for demandsAttack.Ransom, as criminals seek the highest possible ransomAttack.Ransomwhile trying to avoid the attention of law enforcement . Economists say hackers who apply more sophisticated pricing techniques “ could lead to dramatic increases in profits at relatively little costs . ” The highest demandAttack.Ransomseen in public during the last was $ 28,730 from MIRCOP ransomware . It ’ s not clear if anyone actually paid offAttack.Ransomthose specific hackers . In private , however , higher ransomsAttack.Ransomare finding success when hackers successfully target the right companies . An IBM Security study from December 2016 found that over half of the businesses they surveyed said they had already paidAttack.Ransomover $ 10,000 in ransomAttack.Ransomwhile 20 percent said they ’ d paidAttack.Ransomover $ 40,000 . Globally , 34 percent of victims end up paying ransomAttack.Ransom. American victims , however , pay at a rate of 64 percent , according to Norton . “ That ’ s a phenomenal number , ” Symantec ’ s Kevin Haley told CyberScoop . “ I always compare it to direct mail where if you get a 1 percent rate you ’ re doing really good . These guys get a 34 percent return rate . Extortion really paysAttack.Ransom. ” The twist of the knife comes when only 47 percent of victims who pay the ransomAttack.Ransomactually recover any files . “ If so many people are willing to pay the ransomAttack.Ransom, there ’ s no reason for the price to come down , ” Haley said . “ In fact , it ’ s only going to go up . We may see that average go even higher until that price ceiling is discovered when so many people aren ’ t willing to pay that much . But we haven ’ t hit it yet . ”
Amateur cybercriminals may be shifting towards targeting the healthcare sector using an off-the-shelf ransomware , according to security researchers at Forcepoint Security Labs . Forcepoint is an Austin , Texas-based cybersecurity software company and Roland Dela Paz , a senior security researcher at the company , detailed in a blog post that Forcepoint Security Labs has identified a ransomware-as-a-service ( RaaS ) platform , called Philadelphia , used in a cyber attack on a healthcare organization . “ In that attackAttack.Phishing, a shortened URL , which we believe was sentAttack.Phishingthrough a spear-phishing email , was used as a lureAttack.Phishingto infect a hospital from Oregon and Southwest Washington . Once a user clicks on the link , the site redirects to a personal storage site to download a malicious DOCX file , ” Dela Paz wrote . He noted that the document contained the targeted healthcare organization ’ s logo and a signature of a medical practitioner from that organization . Three document icons pertaining to patient information also were present in the file and , when the user double-clicks , a malicious Javascript is triggered which downloads and executes a variant of the Philadelphia ransomware . “ Believed to be a new version of the Stampado ransomware , Philadelphia is an unsophisticated ransomware kit sold for a few hundred dollars to anyone who can afford it . Recently , a video advertisement of Philadelphia surfaced on Youtube , ” he wrote . Dela Paz further wrote in the blog post , “ A few things in the malware captured our interest . Aside from the tailored bait against a specific healthcare organization , the encrypted JavaScript above contained a string “ hospitalspam ” in its directory path . Likewise , the ransomware C2 also contained “ hospital/spam ” in its path . Such wordings would imply that this is not an isolated case ; but that the actor behind the campaign is specifically targeting hospitals using spam ( spear phishing emails ) as a distribution method. ” He also noted that ransomware-as-a-service platforms such as Philadelphia continue to attract would-be cybercriminals to take part in the ransomware business . And , while this example represents only one healthcare organization that was targeted , the researcher noted that it could signify the beginning of a trend with smaller ransomware operators , using RaaS platforms , aiming for the healthcare sector , “ ultimately leading to even bigger and diversified ransomware attacksAttack.Ransom” against the sector , he wrote .
Last week we first tweeted that the GuardiCore Global Sensor Network ( GGSN ) has detected a wide ransomware attackAttack.Ransomtargeting MySQL databases . The attacksAttack.Ransomlook like an evolution of the MongoDB ransomware attacksAttack.Ransomfirst reported earlier this year by Victor Gevers . Similarly to the MongoDB attacksAttack.Ransom, owners are instructed to payAttack.Ransoma 0.2 Bitcoin ransomAttack.Ransom( approx. $ 200 ) to regain access to their content . We saw two very similar variations of the attackAttack.Ransomusing two bitcoin wallets . In this post we will describe in detail the attack flow and provide some recommendations on how to protect your databases from similar attacks along with attack IoCs . The attacks started at midnight at 00:15 on February 12 and lasted about 30 hours in which hundreds of attacks were reported by GGSN . We were able to trace all the attacks to 109.236.88.20 , an IP address hosted by worldstream.nl , a Netherlands-based web hosting company . The attacker is ( probably ) running from a compromised mail server which also serves as HTTP ( s ) and FTP server . Worldstream was notified a few days after we reported the attack . The attack starts with ‘ root ’ password brute-forcing . Once logged-in , it fetches a list of the existing MySQL databases and their tables and creates a new table called ‘ WARNING ’ that includes a contact email address , a bitcoin address and a payment demandAttack.Ransom. In one variant of the attack the table is added to an existing database ; in other cases the table is added to a newly created database called ‘ PLEASE_READ ’ . The attacker will then delete the databases stored on the server and disconnect , sometimes without even dumping them first . The attack as reported by GuardiCore Centra We logged two versions of the ransom message : INSERT INTO PLEASE_READ. ` WARNING ` ( id , warning , Bitcoin_Address , Email ) VALUES ( ‘ 1′ , ’ Send 0.2 BTC to this address and contact this email with your ip or db_name of your server to recover your database ! Your DB is Backed up to our servers ! ’ , ‘ 1ET9NHZEXXQ34qSP46vKg8mrWgT89cfZoY ’ , ‘ backupservice @ mail2tor.com ’ ) INSERT INTO ` WARNING ` ( id , warning ) VALUES ( 1 , ‘ SEND 0.2 BTC TO THIS ADDRESS 1Kg9nGFdAoZWmrn1qPMZstam3CXLgcxPA9 AND GO TO THIS SITE http : //sognd75g4isasu2v.onion/ TO RECOVER YOUR DATABASE ! The second version offers the owner to visit the following darknet web site ‘ http : //sognd75g4isasu2v.onion/ ’ to recover the lost data . The darknet web site referenced in the ransom note . Each version uses a different bitcoin wallet , 1Kg9nGFdAoZWmrn1qPMZstam3CXLgcxPA9 vs 1ET9NHZEXXQ34qSP46vKg8mrWgT89cfZoY and based on Blockchain public information people have been paying up .
Wasaga Beach has paidAttack.Ransompart of the ransomAttack.Ransomto hackers who took over the town 's computer system earlier this month . The computer ransomware attackAttack.Ransomstarted Sunday , April 29th . Staff discovered they could n't access town data when the arrived on Monday . CAO George Vadeboncoeur says some of the data has been retrieved , but he 's not saying how much money the town has had to payAttack.Ransomthe hackers . He says the town does n't actually know who the ransomware virus attackers are . He does say they appear to be in a time zone six hours different from ours , and English is not their first language . Vadeboncoeur says town council will get a report on the ransom paidAttack.Ransomat a meeting once the situation is resolved . He says he does n't know yet when that will be , but he says some of the town 's data has now been retrieved .
This Locky spam dip has been seen by multiple observers , such as security firms Avast and Check Point , and security researchers Kevin Beaumont , MalwareTech , MalwareHunterTeam , and others . According to Check Point , who recently released a report on December 's most active malware families , Locky spam numbers have gone down 81 % . Previously , in October , Locky had been ranked as the top malware threat in the world , while now , in December , Locky is not even in the top 10 anymore . The same thing can also be seen in a chart released by Avast . Even if the chart does n't cover the last ten days , Locky spam numbers have remained at the same low levels as during the holidays . The only tiny trail of activity in the chart above is the Locky ransomware delivered as a second-stage download for Kovter campaigns . Kovter is a click-fraud malware that infects computers and clicks on invisible ads on the user 's behalf . This malware has been around for years , and recently , it started distributing a wide range of secondary payloads . In January 2016 , Kovter downloaded and installed a proxy client on infected PCs , transforming infected hosts into proxy servers for the ProxyGate web proxy service . This allowed the Kovter gang to make a side profit by routing web traffic through infected PCs , while also earning money from its main activity : click-fraud . In the same month , Kovter also started distributing a version of the Nemucod ransomware , for which Fabian Wosar of Emsisoft had successfully created a decrypter . Disheartened by Wosar 's success , the group behind Kovter switched to several ransomware variants in the following months , and eventually settled on renting and distributing Locky starting with October , as part of an affiliate scheme , splitting the ransom paymentsAttack.Ransomwith the Locky crew . Researchers looking at Locky infections can easily track Locky infections distributed by the Kovter group by the affiliate IDs 23 and 24 , found in Locky 's configuration file , present on every infected system . PhishMe researchers have recently published a blog post detailing the Kovter spam emails that has been distributing Locky ransomware in the past weeks . At the moment , these spam emails are the only source of Locky infections . Previously , most of the spam emails distributing Locky cameAttack.Phishingfrom the spam sent out via Necurs , a botnet of PCs infected with the Necurs bootkit . The Necurs botnet is the same botnet responsible for the distribution of the Dridex banking trojan , one of the most advanced banking trojans known today .
PGA of America computers were infected this week with a strain of malicious software that locked down critical files and demandedAttack.Ransomcryptocurrency for their return . Officials discovered on Tuesday that servers had been targeted in a ransomware attackAttack.Ransomthat blocked them from obtaining access to material relating to major golf tournaments , including this week ’ s PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club . Some signage had been in development for over a year and could not be reproduced quickly , Golfweek reported . The extortion threatAttack.Ransomwas clear : Transfer bitcoin to the hackers or lose the files forever . “ Your network has been penetrated . All files on each host in the network have been encrypted with a strong algorythm ( sic ) , ” a ransom read . “ Backups were either encrypted or deleted or backup disks were formatted. ” The note claimed shutting down the system may damage files . The notice included a bitcoin wallet number—where funds could be sent—and a warning that there was no way to get access to the files without a decryption key . The hackers that said they would prove their “ honest intentions ” to the PGA of America by unlocking two files free-of-charge . A source who asked not to be named told Golfweek that officials had no intention of paying the ransom demandAttack.Ransom—following the advice of most law enforcement officials and cybersecurity experts . The network remained locked on Wednesday and external researchers are still investigating . PGA of America has declined to comment . The golfing association did not reveal what ransomware infected its computers . But tech website Bleeping Computer found the demand matched the BitPaymer variant . Researcher Lawrence Abrams said one previous extortionAttack.Ransomscheme asked forAttack.Ransom53 bitcoins , equivalent to $ 335,000 . Abrams described BitPaymer as a “ secure ransomware ” and said the PGA would either have to rely on backups to regain access to its files or payAttack.Ransomthe significant bitcoin demandAttack.Ransom.
Cyberthieves are increasingly targeting the malicious software , which locks all files on a targeted computer or network until the owner pays upAttack.Ransom, at smaller and arguably more vulnerable organizations . The Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County in California was a recent target . Seconds after a co-worker clicked on a malicious email attachment , “ the compressed file she had opened connected her computer with a server in the Ukraine , ” says Will Bailey , director of IT for the organization . “ It downloaded the ransomware code and began to encrypt files on her device ” . While cyberthieves ostensibly have more to gain from large organizations , experts say they see smaller organizations as lower-hanging fruit . Because a successful breach of an institution with fewer information security resources is easier to achieve and more likely to have a meaningful impact , it is also more likely to result in a payment . “ Small businesses are frequently a more appealing target for ransomware because they sit at the juncture of money and vulnerability , ” says Ryan Olson , director of the Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 cybersecurity threat intelligence team . “ They frequently have more money than individuals , but being small businesses , they lack the more sophisticated defenses that larger business have ” . “ These attackers have also learned that the most profitable method is to hitAttack.Ransommany small businesses with low ransom demandsAttack.Ransom—usually $ 300 to $ 2,000 . Even small businesses can generally afford to pay those amounts ” . — Eric Hodge , director of consulting , IDT911 Consulting The stats are staggering . The frequency of ransomware attacksAttack.Ransomagainst organizations with fewer than 200 employees is poised to “ triple or quadruple ” from that of 2015 , according to Eric Hodge , director of consulting for IDT911 Consulting . And 60 percent of small businesses that suffer a ransomware attackAttack.Ransomare already going out of business within six months , according to the U.S. National Cyber Security Alliance . For many small businesses , if the ransomAttack.Ransomis low enough , and data backups aren ’ t available , experts say the most cost-effective response is often to pay the ransomAttack.Ransom. “ At this point , it seems to be the small companies , and individuals providing service as a company , who are in the crosshairs , ” Hodge says . “ These attackers have also learned that the most profitable method is to hitAttack.Ransommany small businesses with low ransom demandsAttack.Ransom—usually $ 300 to $ 2,000 . Even small businesses can generally afford to pay those amounts ” . Ransomware reportedly has cost U.S. small to midsize businesses alone more than $ 75 billion in damages and payments , according to a September 2016 survey by data protection vendor Datto . Indeed , 31 percent of the Datto survey ’ s respondents said they had experienced multiple ransomware attacksAttack.Ransomwithin a single day , and a whopping 63 percent said these attacks led to downtime in their business operations , which could cost them as much as $ 8,500 per hour . And according to Symantec ’ s 2016 Internet Security Threat Report , 43 percent of last year ’ s phishing emails , the vast majority of which were laced with ransomware , targeted small businesses—up from 18 percent in 2011 . New research indicates that consumers similarly are becoming more attractive ransomware targets . According to a recent study from IBM X-Force , which surveyed 600 business professionals and 1,000 consumers , 54 percent of consumers said they would pay a ransomAttack.Ransomto retrieve their financial data , and 55 percent of parents said they would payAttack.Ransomto have digital photos returned . With cybercriminals constantly upping their game in ransomware , small businesses and consumers have little choice but to remain vigilant and take “ simple steps ” to mitigate the risk of an attack , Palo Alto Networks ’ Olson says . In addition to keeping systems up-to-date with security updates , and taking precautions before opening attachments or clicking on links , he recommends maintaining offline backups—or cloud-based backups outside your network—to recover potentially compromised files .
The city of North Bend , Ore. , was hit with a ransomware attackAttack.Ransomwhich temporarily locked out city workers from their computers and databases . “ One weekend morning a few weeks back all of our servers and things locked up , and we received a ransomware note that asked forAttack.Ransom$ 50,000 in Bitcoin these people would provide us with the code to unlock our computer systems , ” North Bend City Administrator Terence O ’ Connor told The World . Fortunately the city ’ s IT systems were backed up and officials were able to avoid the high ransom demandedAttack.Ransomby the criminals responsible for the attackAttack.Ransom. City officials did , however , call in the FBI to investigate the attack and while they were unable to identify anyone directly involved in the attack , they were able to trace the ransom demandAttack.Ransomto Romania . O ’ Connor added that the attack appeared to be a more sophisticated ransomware where there are two keys needed to unlock your system with one planted in the system and the other is held by the culprit . The city was insured and ended up having to payAttack.Ransomaround $ 5,000 in out of pocket expenses as well as added a firewall security to prevent future attacks .
Check Point ’ s mobile security researchers have discovered a new ransomware in Google Play , dubbed Charger . Charger was found embedded in an app called EnergyRescue . The infected app stealsAttack.Databreachcontacts and SMS messages from the user ’ s device and asks for admin permissions . If granted , the ransomware locks the device and displaysAttack.Ransoma message demanding paymentAttack.Ransom. Researchers detected and quarantined the Android device of an unsuspecting customer employee who had unknowingly downloaded and installed Charger . The early detection enabled them to quickly disclose the findings to Android ’ s Security team that added the malware to Android ’ s built-in protection mechanisms before it began to spread , ensuring only a handful of devices were infected . Unlike most malware found on Google Play , that contains a dropper that later downloads the real malicious components to the device , Charger uses a heavy packing approach . This makes it harder for the malware to stay hidden . Charger ’ s developers compensated for this using a variety of techniques to boost its evasion capabilities so it could stay hidden on Google Play for as long as possible . These included : The ransom demandAttack.Ransomis for 0.2 Bitcoins or roughly $ 180 and is much higher than what has been seen in previous mobile ransomware attacksAttack.Ransom. By comparison , the DataLust ransomware demandedAttack.Ransommerely $ 15 and could be an indicator of a wider effort by mobile malware developers to catch up with their PC ransomware cousins . Similar to other malware seen in the past , Charger checks the local settings of the device and does not run its malicious logic if the device is located in Ukraine , Russia , or Belarus . This is likely done to keep the developers from being prosecuted in their own countries or being extradited between countries
MONTREAL—On Sept 10 , municipal employees in a region between Montreal and Quebec City arrived at work to discover a threatening message on their computers notifyingAttack.Ransomthem they were locked out of all their files . In order to regain access to its data , the regional municipality of Mekinac was told to depositAttack.Ransomeight units of the digital currency Bitcoin into a bank account — roughly equivalent to $ 65,000 . Mekinac ’ s IT department eventually negotiatedAttack.Ransomthe cyber extortionists down and paidAttack.Ransom$ 30,000 in Bitcoin , but not before the region ’ s servers were disabled for about two weeks . The attack highlights the inability of many small municipalities to adequately protect their data , but also the lack of guidance on cybersecurity provided to them by the Quebec government , according to Prof. Jose Fernandez , a malware expert at Montreal ’ s Polytechnique engineering school . “ Quebec is an embarrassment , ” Fernandez said in an interview , adding that he has tried without success to contact government representatives to alert them to the problem . “ There hasn ’ t been any traction on this issue in the past 15 years , ” he said . “ I try to speak to ( the government ) but there is nobody . Who are you going to call ? Nobody. ” Bernard Thompson , reeve for the Mekinac regional municipality , said the ransom demandAttack.Ransompresented a real dilemma for his small organization . Mekinac groups together 10 municipalities with a population of roughly 13,000 people . “ It was hard , clearly , on the moral side of things that we had to pay a bunch of bandits , ” Thompson said . Mekinac ’ s attackers used malicious software — known as malware or ransomware — to demand moneyAttack.Ransomin return for keys to unlock the data . Fernandez said it is ironic that Quebec is home to a thriving cybersecurity industry and is an emerging hub for artificial-intelligence research , yet the provincial government is “ decades ” behind other provinces in defending against cyberattacks . Still , Quebec is not the only province experiencing attacks . Several municipal governments and businesses in Ontario were recently hit by ransomware attacksAttack.Ransom, prompting the Ontario Provincial Police to issue an advisory in September . In response to the growing problem , Communications Security Establishment — the Defence Department ’ s electronic intelligence agency — launched the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security last month . It is responsible for monitoring “ new forms of ransomware ” and advising the federal and provincial governments . Spokesman Evan Koronewski said the centre has no provincial or territorial equivalent . Fernandez , however , notes that some provinces are taking significant steps . British Columbia and New Brunswick have established offices dedicated to protecting government data . Meanwhile in Quebec , he said , small towns are left unprotected . “ I ’ m hoping the new government does something about it , ” he said . Patrick Harvey , spokesman for the Public Security Department , disputed the claim the provincial government is unprepared for cyberattacks . He said the Treasury Department has a director of information responsible for ensuring government data is protected . The Public Security Department has a unit dedicated to responding to cyberattacks within the administration and provincial police . But municipalities are not part of the unit ’ s mandate . “ Municipalities are autonomous entities that are responsible for ensuring the security of their digital infrastructure , ” Harvey said . Mekinac ’ s servers were compromised after an employee opened and clicked on a link in a fraudulent email sentAttack.Phishingby the hackers . Once opened , the malware was downloaded onto the computer , giving the hackers access to the entire network . The hackers then encrypted all the data and held it hostage until they receivedAttack.Ransomtheir bitcoins . Once a system ’ s data is encrypted , it ’ s virtually impossible to crack the code without a key — and there is nothing police can do about it . Most professional criminals use commercial grade encryption and to locate a key to decrypt data would take “ astronomical effort in terms of computing , ” Fernandez said . “ You either payAttack.Ransomor you don ’ t get the data. ” The identity and location of Mekinac ’ s hackers were never discovered . Thompson said police seized some of his computers for analysis and told his office not to negotiate or payAttack.Ransomthe criminals . But Thompson said his region couldn ’ t heed that advice , because it would have meant months of data re-entry , costing significantly more than $ 30,000 . So they paidAttack.Ransom, got their data back and learned a valuable lesson . “ In the end , in terms of the security of our system , ( the attack ) was actually positive , ” Thompson said . A local cybersecurity company — for $ 10,000 a year — helped the regional municipality build firewalls and encrypt its own data . “ We are practically no longer vulnerable , ” Thompson said . “ Everything is encrypted now . Every email is analyzed before we even receive it. ” He warns that small towns across the province are just as susceptible to attack as his region was . “ Every day , our system catches malicious emails trying to penetrate — but they are stopped , ” he said . “ But the attacks keep coming . ”
It ’ s safe to say that 2016 was the year of ransomware . More specifically , the year of crypto-ransomware , that nefarious variant that encrypts files and holds them captive until a ransom is paidAttack.Ransom. Since the release of Cryptolocker in late 2013 , crypto-ransomware has exploded , and 2016 was a banner year . As a matter of fact , according to the FBI , cyber criminals used ransomware to stealAttack.Ransommore than $ 209 million from U.S. businesses in just the first quarter of 2016 . And according to a recent report from Kaspersky Labs , from January to September of 2016 , ransomware attacks targeting companies increased by a whopping 300 percent . With threat actors realizing ransomware ’ s lucrative potential , they bombarded the industry with new attacks in 2016 . This variant hit the wild in early 2016 , infecting systems using AES encryption . It not only infects mapped file shares , but any networked share , so remote drives are at risk . This attack was so potent experts estimate it infected more than 100,000 victims per day at its peak . More recently , hackers went after the beloved San Francisco Municipal Transport Agency ( MUNI ) . If you were in the area in late November , you may have gotten the message “ You Hacked ” at public transit ticket kiosks . The city ’ s light rail was hit by ransomware that forced them to offerAttack.Ransomfree rides for two days while they recovered the files . Or , what about Popcorn , the ingenious little in-development ransomware variant in December that turned victims into attackers by incentivizing them with a pyramid scheme-style discount . Send the infection to two of your friends , and you get your files back for free . Ransomware perhaps hitAttack.Ransomhealthcare the hardest in 2016 , with some reports claiming 88 percent of all ransomware affected hospitals . Whether large or small , no provider could hide from hackers looking to nab and encrypt patient data , disrupting care until the provider paid upAttack.Ransomor recovered files . The New Jersey Spine Center and Marin Healthcare District were attackedAttack.Ransomby Cryptowall , which encrypted electronic health records , backup files and the phone system . MedStar , which operates 10 hospitals in the D.C and Baltimore area , was forced to shut down its entire IT system and revert to paper records . And the list goes on and on with names like California ’ s Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center , The University of Southern California ’ s Keck and Norris Hospital , Kansas Heart Hospital , Alvarado Medical Center , King ’ s Daughter ’ s Health , Chino Valley Medical Center and Desert Valley Hospital , and more . Criminals have obviously realized the awesome money-making potential of ransomware , and you should expect them to double-down in 2017 . That said , how can they make an already effective threat even more widespread ? Every year I try to predict changes and evolutions to the threat and security landscape . In this year ’ s predictions , I forecast that you ’ ll see the first ever , wide-spread ransomworm . This new variant will dramatically accelerate the spread of ransomware . Years ago , network worms like CodeRed , SQL Slammer , and more recently , Conficker were pretty common . As you probably know , a worm is a type of malware that automatically spreads itself over a network , using either legitimate network file sharing features , or network software vulnerabilities . In the past , the fastest spreading worms – like the examples mentioned above – exploitedVulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerabilitynetwork software flaws to automatically propagate through networks ( whether the Internet or just your internal network ) . Although we haven ’ t seen many wildly successful network worms lately , they ’ re still a threat . All it takes is for one black hat to findVulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerabilitya new zero-day networking software flaw and wide-spread ransomworm becomes a real possibility . In fact , attackers may not even need to know a new networking flaw to create a successful ransomware . By stealingAttack.Databreacha computer ’ s local credentials , attackers can use normal Windows networking , or tools like Powershell to spread through an internal Windows network without leveraging any vulnerability at all . Now , imagine ransomware attached to such a network worm . After infecting one victim , it could tirelessly copy itself to every computer it could reach on your local network . Whether or not you want to imagine such a scenario , criminals have already added network-scanning capabilities to some ransomware variants , and there ’ s a high likelihood they will more aggressively merge ransomware and worm capabilities next year . In 2017 , I suspect you ’ ll see a ransomworm that automatically spreads very quickly and successfully , at least on local networks , if not the Internet . Since falling victim to ransomware can be a costly and time-consuming affair , how can you prepare to combat these evolving threats ? Backup – Sure , I know most people just want to prevent ransomware , but you ’ ll never have 100 percent assurances of that in information security . Backing up your data is an important part of security for reasons far beyond just recovering from a ransomware attack . If you don ’ t already backup your important data , ransomware is the best reason yet to do so . Patch your software – There are many ways ransomware might get on your systems , including just users manually doing foolish things . However , in order to forcefully or automatically install malware on your system , attackers must exploit software flaws . That said , vendors have already fixedVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilitya huge percent of the vulnerabilities hackers use to spread malware . If you simply keep your patches up to dateVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability, you won ’ t succumb to many of these forced or automated attacks , which could even help against ransomworms , assuming the network flaw they used was also patchedVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability. Implement Killchain Defense – You won ’ t find one security technology that can protect you from 100 percent of ransomware by itself . However , there are many security controls that help protect you from various stages of a ransomware attack . For instance , Intrusion Prevention Systems ( IPS ) can prevent some of the exploits criminals use to spread ransomware . AntiVirus can catch some of the most common ransomware variants , and more modern advanced threat protection solutions can even identify and block new zero-day ransomware samples . However , none of these defenses are fool proof alone . The best way to protect your computer or organization is to combine all of them . Unified Threat Management ( UTM ) solutions often offer the easiest option for placing all these protections under one pane of glass
Officials at a medical practice in Blue Springs say they are taking steps to strengthen privacy protections after a ransomware attackAttack.Ransomaffected nearly 45,000 patients . Blue Springs Family Care discovered in May that hackers had installed malware and ransomware encryption programs on its computer system , giving them full accessAttack.Databreachto patient records . Ransomware is a kind of malware that locks up a computer . The attackers typically demand a ransomAttack.Ransom, often in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies , as a condition of unlocking the computer and allowing access to the system . Melanie Peterson , Blue Springs Family Care ’ s privacy officer , says the medical practice did not pay a ransomAttack.Ransom. Rather , it was able to use backups to regain computer access . In a letter to patients , Blue Springs Family Care said it had no evidence patients ’ information had been used by unauthorized individuals . But it said it had taken steps to strengthen its defenses against similar attacks in the future . Peterson says the family medical practice has essentially rebuilt its computer system from scratch “ to make sure that no traces of any kind of virus were left in the system. ” The number of affected patients was as large as it was because the medical practice is required to keep medical records going back 10 years . Peterson says both the FBI and Blue Springs Police Department were notified of the attack . So far , the hackers have not been identified , she says . Blue Springs Family Care ’ s computer vendor discovered the ransomware attackAttack.Ransomon May 12 . In its letter to patients , Blue Springs Family Care said it hired a forensic IT company to help quarantine the affected systems and to install software to monitor whether any unauthorized person was accessing the system . The attack on Blue Springs Family Care was not an anomaly . Health care businesses in particular have been targeted by ransomware attacksAttack.Ransom. According to Beazly , a cybersecurity insurance company , 45 percent of ransomware attacksAttack.Ransomin 2017 targeted the health care industry . Financial services , which accounted for 12 percent of ransomware attacksAttack.Ransom, were a distant second . Last month , Cass Regional Medical Center in Harrisonville , Missouri , reported a ransomware attackAttack.Ransomhad briefly cut off access to its electronic health record system on July 9 . Hospital officials said there was no indication patient data was accessedAttack.Databreach. Cass Regional was just the latest of many Missouri health care institutions targeted in the last few months by cyber-attackers . Others include Children ’ s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City , Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis , Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital in St. Peters and John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff . In Kansas , the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation of Kansas , the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services , Atchison Hospital Association and a private medical practice in McPherson have all been hit with cyberattacks since March . “ If you think about what ’ s in a health or medical record , there ’ s a lot of information that could be used to create or falsify documents on an individual , ” says Madeline Allen , an assistant vice president in the cybertech practice at Lockton Companies , a Kansas City-based insurance broker . “ So think about your medical record that contains not only your health information but also your name and address , your social security number , your date of birth , oftentimes a driver ’ s license number . “ All of those things can be used to impersonate you , whether it be to open a line of credit , apply for a loan , file a tax return – all of those things . Pretty much everything you need would be found in your health record , '' Allen says . `` If you can get a full health record on someone , it ’ s pretty valuable information to the bad guys as they ’ re looking to monetize that information. ” For health care institutions , Allen says , it ’ s not so much a question of whether they will be attacked as when . As such , she says , apart from instituting technical measures , the most important thing they can do to ward off cyberattacks is to educate their employees . “ Let them know that people are constantly trying to attack from all angles and the attacks are pretty sophisticated , ” she says . “ It ’ s very easy to click on a link thinking it ’ s legitimate or respond to an email that looks legitimate when in fact it ’ s not . So I think the education of employees and staff is perhaps the biggest step that health care facilities can take . ”
Since last Friday , over 200,000 victims in 150 countries have been hitAttack.Ransomby a massive , international ransomware cyberattackAttack.Ransomcalled WannaCry . Ransomware is a type of malware that works by seizing control of and blocking access to a computer ’ s files , programs , and operations . Users are then informed that they must payAttack.Ransoma certain amount in order to regain access to their files , with the threat of permanently losing all of their data if they choose not to payAttack.Ransom. In the WannaCry attackAttack.Ransom, users were given three days to make the paymentAttack.Ransombefore the fee increased , and seven days before the files would be lost forever . The massive scope and potential financial impact of the WannaCry attackAttack.Ransomhas understandably caused a lot of panic , and companies and individuals alike have been rushing to protect their devices . However , this frenzy has opened up new damaging routes for fraud . One of these attack routes is through mobile applications that have been found on third-party application stores . There are various mobile applications advertising that they can be used to protect users from the WannaCry ransomware . However , our analysts found that some of these apps contained adware meant to infect the devices they are downloaded onto . Rather than protecting users ’ devices , they are causing them harm . The adware found is classified as Adware.mobidash , which is a module that attackers used to include into Android games and apps and monetize them . This adware has the capability to load webpages with ads , show other messages in the status bar , and modify the DNS server . This is quite dangerous as the real risk lies in the fact that the end user ’ s device is performing unwanted activity without their authorization . To hide this dangerous behavior , the adware doesn ’ t start to perform its malicious activity immediately ; instead , it lies latent in the device before activating after a short period of time . We have blogged a lot about digital trust , fake news , and all sorts of tricksAttack.Phishingthat criminals use to get the attention of consumers to get them to click on a link . Yet we continue to be amazed by how sophisticated the manipulation of the human factor has become . It will only be a matter of time until we see the WannaCry malware expand further to trickAttack.Phishingend users into installingVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilitya patch that allegedly prevents the new massive ransomware attackAttack.Ransom. However , this time it will not be a patch , but a new version or variant of a financially motivated malware .
A Warwick company ’ s managing director is warning other businesses to protect themselves from cyber criminals after being held to ransomAttack.Ransom. Kettell Video Productions was targeted by tech scammers who infected its IT systems with viruses before demandingAttack.Ransom£1,000 in online currency Bitcoins or the files would be permanently deleted . Luckily , owner Stuart Kettell routinely backs up all his company ’ s systems so nothing was lost but he warned others to do the same to avoid disaster . “ It was scary : I had no idea about cyber-attacks before and really didn ’ t know what to do , ” he said . “ Critical files , including images and videos for clients , were wiped out along with a lifetime of personal memories . “ The affected files were lost for good – the only way to recover them was with the key code held by the blackmailer – but luckily I back-up everything to an external data cartridge . “ In the end it was more an inconvenience…but it could have threatened the business . “ I would strongly urge all business owners to back-up their essential files. ” Mr Kettell acted quickly when he realised the audio-visual specialists in Arlescote Close were under attack by the web sharks in December , 2015 . “ I noticed all my photos , videos and pdf files ghosting to white with a new filename… it attacked my desktop first then it wormed its way into folders one file at a time every few seconds , ” he said . “ I ’ ve no idea how the malware was introduced as we use software that ’ s designed to prevent against such attacks . “ And the demand for paymentAttack.Ransomseemed very professional : I was given links where I could buy Bitcoins and even offered the chance to decrypt one file for free . “ I unplugged my computer , isolated it from the internet , and ran some anti-malware software to stop the virus spreading further. ” Latest figures from the Crime Survey for England & Wales estimated there were 1.3m computer virus offences and 667,000 hacking related offences committed in the year ending September 2016 . Sergeant Gary Sirrell from the cybercrime team at West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit said commercial web attacks are increasingly being committed against smaller firms and not big multi-nationals . “ Small and medium sized companies are easier targets : they often don ’ t have the resources or expertise to protect against cyberattacks , ” he said . “ And if they are targeted , the impact can be devastating . “ But there are steps business owners can take to mitigate the risk . “ A really effective tactic involves ‘ layering ’ defences to include a firewall , anti-malware software , staff training and regular re-training ) around phishing email awareness , and finally to plugVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilityany holes in your defences by updatingVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilitysoftware patches and updatesVulnerability-related.PatchVulnerabilityin a timely manner . “ By exercising good cyber hygiene , and having a strong backup policy , Stuart avoided the dilemma of whether to see his business significantly damaged , or to have to hand over a ransomAttack.Ransomto organised crime gangs to get his data unlocked . “ If more businesses in the West Midlands proactively took such steps there would be significantly fewer crimes victims . ”
Over the weekend , a hacker known as TheDarkOverlord resurfaced and released the first episode of season five for `` Orange is the New Black '' a popular show on Netflix that is n't slated to air until June . A short time later , TheDarkOverlord released episodes 2 though 10 , along with a warning to other Hollywood studios – you 're next . The media jumped on the story . Netflix would n't confirm or deny the leakedAttack.Databreachepisodes were legitimate , stating that proper law enforcement had been notified , and that a company used by several TV studios `` had its security compromised . '' The company in question , Larson Studios , does audio post-production work for a number of shows and films , including NCIS Los Angeles , Designated Survivor , and Arrested Development . According to Larson Studios , they 've done work for FOX , Netflix , ABC , NBC , IFC , Showtime , and more . As word of Netflix 's security problem started to spread , news outlets starting comparing the incident to the Sony Pictures hack and the medical hacks over the last few years . While there are some comparisons to be made , they 're not the same type of threat . Netflix did n't have a Ransomware incident , and neither did Larson Studios . Their files were stolenAttack.Databreach, not encrypted . Ransomware encrypts the files on a computer and renders them useless . Victims can recover the files if they pay a fee (ransom)Attack.Ransom, or they can try and recover the files from backups . According to TheDarkOverlord , Larson Studios was targeted because they were a post-production company . Late last year , TheDarkOverlord hackedAttack.DatabreachLarson Studios and downloadedAttack.Databreachan unknown number of files . Plenty of reporters knew TheDarkOverlord had targeted Hollywood , but until this weekend there was never any proof . Fast forward a few months . When Larson Studios did n't comply with the extortion demandsAttack.Ransom, TheDarkOverlord turned their attention to Netflix . When Netflix refused to payAttack.Ransom, season five ( minus three episodes ) of `` Orange is the New Black '' was released for download . `` It did n't have to be this way , Netflix . You 're going to lose a lot more money in all of this than what our modest offer was . We 're quite ashamed to breathe the same air as you . We figured a pragmatic business such as yourselves would see and understand the benefits of cooperating with a reasonable and merciful entity like ourselves , '' TheDarkOverlord wrote in a statement . Netflix surpassed $ 2.5 billion in quarterly streaming revenue in Q1 2017 , and added five million members to their subscriber base . While having one of their popular series leakedAttack.Databreachto the web is n't exactly helpful , it is n't clear if there will be any financial impact from this incident . Once again , extortion and Ransomware are two separate things . Netflix and Larson Studios are (were) being extortedAttack.Ransom, they were not infected with Ransomware and have complete accessAttack.Databreachto their files . However , there is a lesson to be learned . Third-parties are always going to pose a risk to any organization , and this is certainly the case in Hollywood where secrecy and suspense are key to their business model .
Ransomware criminals chatting upAttack.Ransomvictims , offering to delay deadlines , showing how to obtain Bitcoin , dispensing the kind of customer support that consumers lust for from their cable and mobile plan providers , PC and software makers ? Finnish security vendor F-Secure yesterday released 34 pages of transcripts from the group chat used by the crafters of the Spora ransomware family . The back-and-forth not only put a spotlight on the gang 's customer support chops , but , said a company security advisor , illustrated the intertwining of Bitcoin and extortion malware . `` We should be thankful that there are at least some practical barriers to purchase Bitcoins , '' wrote Sean Sullivan of F-Secure in a Wednesday post to the firm 's blog . `` If it were any easier to do so , very little else would check the growth of crypto-ransomware 's business model . '' Sullivan originally penned that conclusion last month , in a short section of the `` State of Cyber Security '' report that F-Secure published then . Yesterday , F-Secure posted the transcripts , 20,000 words or more , and dubbed the collection a `` new supplemental appendix '' to the original report . In one exchange , a Spora victim said he or she had paid the extortion feeAttack.Ransom, but had gotten nothing in return . `` The malware technology to encrypt data has been possible for many , many years ; the bigger challenge has always been getting paid , '' Sullivan pointed out . `` In the past , cyber-crime schemes ( such as scareware ) have been killed off by disrupting the money supply . The same may well be true of cyber extortionAttack.Ransom; to kill the business model , it may be necessary to ban Bitcoin . ''
LabCorp experienced a breach this past weekend , which it nows says was a ransomware attackAttack.Ransom. The intrusion has also prompted concerns that patient data may have also been stolenAttack.Databreach. One of the biggest clinical lab testing companies in the world , LabCorp , was hitAttack.Ransomwith a `` new variant of ransomware '' over the weekend . `` LabCorp promptly took certain systems offline as a part of its comprehensive response to contain and remove the ransomware from its system , '' the company told PCMag in an email . `` We are working to restore additional systems and functions over the next several days . '' LabCorp declined to say what variant of ransomware was used . But according to The Wall Street Journal , the company was hitAttack.Ransomwith a strain known as SamSam . In March , the same strain attackedAttack.Ransomthe city of Atlanta 's IT network . Like other ransomware variants , SamSam will effectively lock down a computer , encrypting all the files inside , and then demandAttack.Ransomthe victim pay upAttack.Ransomto free the system . In the Atlanta attackAttack.Ransom, the anonymous hackers demandedAttack.Ransom$ 51,000 , which the city government reportedly refused to payAttack.Ransom. How much the hackers are demandingAttack.Ransomfrom LabCorp is n't clear ; the company declined to answer further questions about the attackAttack.Ransomor if it will pay the ransomAttack.Ransom. The lab testing provider first reported the breach on Monday , initially describing it as `` suspicious activity '' on the company 's IT systems that relate to healthcare diagnostics . This prompted fears that patient data may have been stolenAttack.Databreach. The North Carolina-based company processes more than 2.5 million lab tests per week and has over 1,900 patient centers across the US . `` LabCorp also has connections to most of the hospitals and other clinics in the United States , '' Pravin Kothari , CEO of cybersecurity firm CipherCloud , said in an email . `` All of this presents , at some point , perhaps an increased risk of cyber attacks propagating and moving through this expanded ecosystem . '' On Thursday , LabCorp issued a new statement and said the attackAttack.Ransomwas a ransomware strain . At this point , the company has found `` no evidence of theftAttack.Databreachor misuse of data , '' but it 's continuing to investigate . `` As part of our in-depth and ongoing investigation into this incident , LabCorp has engaged outside security experts and is working with authorities , including law enforcement , '' the company added .