BotNet News

In the world of cyber threats, few have evolved and increased in scope as dramatically as ransomware. Wade Baker, collegiate associate professor of integrated security in the Department of Business Information Technology and co-founder of the cybersecurity think tank Cyentia Institute, has been at the forefront of studying this ever-growing menace. He shared some of his findings with us in this article.

Ransomware is malware that encrypts files or data so that users can’t access them, and then threatens to publish a victim’s sensitive information online unless a ransom is paid. Attackers typically gain access to a victim’s system by tricking them into clicking on a malicious link or opening an infected attachment sent via email. From there, attackers can spread throughout a network and even infiltrate critical systems.

Once the cybercriminals have ahold of your files, no security software or system restore can return them to you without paying the ransom. As a result, cybercriminals continue to increase the amount demanded for decryption. In addition, some attacks are now leveraging double or triple extortion, meaning that the ransom demand is not only for encrypting files but also stealing private data.

Attackers have also gotten more sophisticated, developing methods to infiltrate networks and gaining a better understanding of how their victims work and what they value. In addition to using compromised websites and phishing emails, some threat actors now use techniques like thread hijacking to spread ransomware in order to evade detection by traditional antivirus solutions. Educating yourself and your employees about what to look out for is essential in protecting against ransomware.