Earlier this year, Russian law enforcement arrested 14 members of the notorious REvil ransomware gang and dismantled their networks. It seemed like a successful takedown.But now REvil–or someone claiming to be REvil–is back. (Something about which absolutely nobody in the information security field is surprised.)Early activity of this REvil resurgence was limited to promoting a […]
Despite the headline-grabbing multi-million dollar (or even larger) ransom demands, ransomware may not be the costliest cybercrime. Business e-mail compromise (BEC) is a less-publicized but potentially more lucrative way for criminals to digitally steal money.First, a warning that statistics on criminal endeavors—whether ransomware (or related extortion), or BEC and related frauds—are very difficult. With BEC, […]
Contemplating payment in lieu of a ransomware attack is a precarious decision at best. It’s a problematic situation with few options. In a previous article we outlined the reasons why you may want to pay a ransom to decrypt your data. However, while paying the ransom is a tempting option that can certainly bail you […]
It was just over a year ago that Colonial Pipeline was brought down with a devastating ransomware attack. Within 24 hours of discovering the ransom note, CEO Joseph Blount made the decision to pay $4.4 million to the perpetrators. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Blount said that the although the decision was […]
Ransomware is a hot topic in IT circles today that solicits hypothetical questions such as, should you pay the ransom? It’s a question that creates interesting fodder, and one that’s answered a lot easier in theory versus reality. If your entire network is locked up in an encrypted state, the get-out-of-jail transaction of paying the […]
A reliable backup process is the backbone of any disaster recovery plan. But what type of backup is superior when it comes to ransomware recovery? Are the old tried-and-true physical backups the superior option, or is backing up to the cloud the way to go?Physical Backups: Limited Access, but a Hot TargetPhysical backups, including everything […]