How realistic would it be for ransomware to successfully exploit weaknesses in the obscure firmware systems running inside PCs? There’s certainly a lot of things to aim at, ranging from the UEFI BIOS that boots PCs to the many other barely-documented firmware running on chips most owners pay absolutely no attention to. An unfortunate characteristic […]
In less than a decade, ransomware has turned from something tech people discussed at cybersecurity conferences to a phenomenon that fills news websites with tales of damage and desperation on a daily basis. But despite this, ransomware still sometimes feels like a background war where one side takes heavy casualties but reacts with little more […]
If there’s a story with a moral we understand without the need for explanation, it’s the legend of Robin Hood, the outlaw who stole from the rich to help the poor. Pointing out that Robin Hood never existed would be to miss the point—the need for a figure who rights the world’s injustices is a […]
In the beginning, ransomware gangs went after individuals and smaller businesses. As they grew in confidence, they moved on to medium-sized companies before becoming so sure of themselves they decided to take on some of the largest multi-nationals in the world. In recent weeks, it seems the notorious Conti group has come up with an […]
The war between Ukraine and Russia has disrupted the business model of ransomware attackers, or so it’s said. It’s an idea that’s been discussed since the war began in February, and now we have some official confirmation that perhaps this isn’t entirely wishful thinking. The venue was the recent U.K. National Cyber Security Centre’s CYBERUK […]
Does it matter how many victims of ransomware agree to pay extortion demands? Security vendors certainly think so, which is why many publish annual or bi-annual numbers that tend to show that ransomware has a shockingly high conversion rate. Looking at statistics from 2021-22, one web survey suggested that only 20% pay up, while Anomali […]
