BotNet News

Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts files and demands payment to restore them. While cybercriminals can create their own ransomware variants, they also purchase malware strains from marketplaces. This allows them to target any business regardless of size, budget or security controls.

Attackers first identify a potential victim, their systems and employees by conducting reconnaissance. They then gain access to the victim organization’s systems by compromising credentials, exploiting software vulnerabilities or using social engineering and malvertising techniques. Once attackers are inside the network, they begin encrypting files by replacing the originals with variant versions that can only be recovered with the attacker-controlled key. Attackers may also delete backup or shadow copies of files to make recovery more difficult.

Once attackers encrypt the most valuable files, they usually display a popup that requests a ransom payment. Victims must pay within 24 to 48 hours or risk losing the files forever. The victims of such attacks can be individuals, businesses or organizations, including health care facilities that have reported losing patient data and disrupting operations.

The FBI has led cross-agency response teams to help victims recover from these attacks. For example, after a ransomware attack hit the NHS in England and Scotland, the agency formed a rapid response team to work with affected hospitals and support staff.

The most critical step in incident response is identifying the threat actor. This includes determining the time and date of the initial intrusion, evaluating logs and understanding how the threat actor gained entry into your environment. It’s then necessary to evaluate your backups. Ideally, these are located on separate systems that aren’t connected to the centralized network. They should also be frequently tested to ensure they are working properly.