By now, you may have heard about "WannaCry"... It's a ransomware attack that began last Friday and it's still ongoing. WannaCry has infected more than 230,000 computers in 150 countries so far.
What's Ransomware?
Ransomware holds your computer hostage... like a kidnapper would. It renders your files inaccessible and then instructs you to pay the "kidnapper" to access them. A word of caution - Paying the ransom is no guarantee that the cyber criminals will honor their part of the agreement. Learn more about ransomware here.
The image below shows what popped up on a WannaCry victim's computer screen. As you can see, the cyber criminals encrypted the victim's files and demanded payment. If the victim doesn't send money to them by a certain
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You can follow @actual_ransom on Twitter to see how much money the WannaCry crybercriminals collect from their victims in real time. As of May 16, 2017, 2:17 p.m. EST, that figure was over $71,499 USD.
The good news is, you can protect yourself from Ransomware and other cyber crime. I created a short list for individuals and organizations below. If you're in the cyber security field, please add anything you can think of in the comments!
Tips for regular folks...
Make it a habit NOT to click links in your emails or instant messages. If a friend sends you a message with a link, ask your friend to confirm sending it before you click the link. Infected devices can send random messages to people in a contacts list. Be aware of spoofing and mimicry in email addresses and web addresses - Examples...PayePal instead of PayPal or an email from order-update@amazon.ru instead of order-update@amazon.com Cyber criminals tend to send emails with titles that create urgency or concern...like "Pay your Invoice NOW" or "Re: Invoice 32467". During the holidays, they send emails claiming that your package couldn't be delivered. Sometimes the messages appear to be coming from UPS, FedEx, or USPS. Delete! Go directly to the mail service site to track your
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For example, you can use an external hard drive. Important: Disconnect this drive from your computer when you're not actively backing up your files. Cyber criminals prey on victims who are using outdated software with known vulnerabilities. Some vendors, like Microsoft and Adobe, send regularly scheduled updates and emergency patches. Enable automatic updates or visit the software vendor’s website and follow the instructions. Use reputable antivirus software, BOLO for updates, and install them immediately. Disable Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). RDP is a Windows function that grants access to a computer remotely. Ransomware can exploit this. Disabling RDP is really easy to do. Here's how. If your computer is not running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012 R2, or Windows Server 2016. Stop reading and do this now: Go to Microsoft's Customer Guidance for WannaCrypt attacks and follow the directions to protect yourself. Here's how you can tell what version of Windows your computer is
Ransomware is a type of malware that limits access to a computer system that it affects. Just as its name goes, it then asks for ransom payment to pay to its creator in order for the limitation to be taken away. Some of these malwares encrypt files on the hard drive while others just lock up the system and display messages persuading the user to pay the ransom (Michael). There are two types of ransomware, one that locks the screen and displays a message that prevents you from accessing the computer, and the other that encrypts files on a systems hard drive and prevents one from opening them (Blue).
Check Antiviruses. All users were provided ESET Antivirus as per our R&Ds of last attack of Ransomware. Ensure everyone is protected by that.
Ransomware is a malicious computer program that encrypts your computers contents and requires a key to unlock the encryption. You are instructed to wire bitcoins (anonymous internet
3. Install Antivirus software (i.e. McAfee AV or Eset) with real-time protection or an internet security
Like all the threat, this adware intrudes computer via free software, this software does not disclose that they are bundled with this malware. Sometimes this threat can enter into a computer by spam email attachment and hyperlinks. Some misleading websites such as questionable web pages, torrent sites, social media platforms etc.
The threat is incredibly serious—and growing. Our nation’s critical infrastructure, including both private and public sector networks, are targeted by adversaries. American companies are targeted for trade secrets and other sensitive data, and universities for their cutting-edge research and development. Citizens from anywhere across the globe are targeted by fraudsters and identity thieves, and children are targeted by online predators. Just as the FBI transformed itself to better address the terrorist threat after the 9/11 attacks, this means enhancing the Cyber Division’s investigative capacity to have strong sharp focus on intrusions into government and private computer like network to.hospitals, school districts, state and local governments, law enforcement agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, Drug Enforcement Administration, National Security Agency, Naval Criminal investigative Service and Department Of Defense, small businesses, large businesses these are just many who have been impacted by ransomware, a threat type of malware that encrypts, or locks, valuable digital files and
This research project discusses a common threat that is consistently present in the world that we live in today on the front of cybersecurity as well as cyberspace. Among all of the various cyber-attacks that exist in our world today, Ransomware has taken a front seat when discussing the different types of threats that create the potential to harm us users on a day to day basis. This form of threat is something that has been plaguing users for years and has caused financial manipulation for hospitals, businesses, and private citizens as well. This research project will discuss the threats that have been present in the past 5-10 years and will provide an in depth study of what occurred and what could have been done in order to prevent this type of attack from happening. The topic of risk assessment and vulnerability will be analyzed as well.
At my place of employment, the IT department sends out emails anytime numerous incoming spam emails are detected. When IT noticed the “invoice” emails coming in, an email was sent to all users with a warning not to open any attachments if they were not expected. Users were further instructed that if an attachment was opened in error, not to download macros even if prompted to. Unfortunately, there were a few people who did just that and subsequently infected their computers. When IT received an alert that a virus had been detected, they confiscate the computer, re-image it, and restore any files that are backed up. This would be the end of the issue until another virus was downloaded. Locky, unlike previous ransomware viruses, attacks more
Two of the common known attacks on computing systems are the deployment of computer viruses and malware.
Recovering from a ransomware attack isn't easy, yet it can be done. However, companies who fall victim to ransomware may find that the recovery process is the least of their concerns. They could be facing not only lawsuits, but also costly fines. This is why prevention is so critical.
Just like a biological virus, a computer virus is able to infect and ruin lives. This malicious software constitutes more than just simple viruses but also includes other types of software including worms, Trojan horses, and ransomware. Malware has been around since the late 1980’s. Originally, people became hackers to gain notoriety online, but today, it has become more of a business. Cyber attacks originate from all around the world, and it is not just individual people that benefit from it. In two decades, numerous cyber crime syndicates have been created, and states all over the world sponsor hacker groups. Over the past twenty-five years, malware has become less about checking the integrity of computer security and gaining notoriety in the underground cyber society, and it has become more of a chaos creating, money making business that many people and institutions take part in.
The sheer availability of information and the ease of access to such information to even the most novice computer user is helping fuel the growth of this type of cybercrime. There are some ways to protect ourselves and our families.
Network viruses are another favorite method of cyber criminals. As we all know, viruses can bring a network to
Variants of ransomware now allow victims to “pay” by spreading the malware to their friends and family. Another variant, Spora, allows tiered payments that unlock “some” or “all” of a victim’s encrypted files or grant “immunity” from the virus that infected them. Expect that to continue in 2017 with an emphasis on alternative payment modes (always the trickiest part of the ransomware scheme). (Roberts, 2017)
Cybercrime has become a fast growing concern for the 21st century as businesses, institutions and individuals grow into an interconnected web of computer networks. Online business transactions, along with the sharing of personal information, are vulnerable to a host of disasters that can reap economic and social havoc. Some sources say that today, cybercrime costs more than $1.0 trillion to society--Global Industry Analysts, Inc. forecasted the world cyber security market to reach $80 billion by 2017 (Gale, 2011).