BotNet News

Ransomware has become a favorite tool for cyber criminals, and victims of these attacks often find themselves pressed for time as they make decisions about whether to pay the demanded sum to regain access to their computers. Small and midsize businesses, in particular, are frequently targeted because they do not have the resources to implement robust cybersecurity measures. They also tend to rely on their computers to manage critical files and communicate with clients and customers. This makes them an easy target for hackers who can manipulate the business owner into a quick decision based on the assumption that paying a few thousand dollars is better than losing a lot of revenue in a short period of time.

Ransomware was first introduced to the world as a blackmailing tool in 1989, when Harvard-educated biologist Joseph L. Popp sent infected floppy disks to 20,000 attendees of the World Health Organization AIDS conference. When inserted into a computer, the disks encrypted the system and instructed users to mail $189 to a P.O. box in Panama for decryption keys.

In the decades that followed, hackers refined ransomware and began to target more complex targets. Today, some attackers even offer ransomware-as-a-service, which allows others to pay to use their tools and software on a subscription basis (Ransomware-as-a-Service Citation2023).

Ransomware is an escalating threat, and the U.S. government has responded by establishing cross-agency rapid response teams that can involve HHS, DHS and the FBI in the most severe cases. Unfortunately, other countries have not joined this effort and remain hesitant to strengthen due diligence in cyberspace.