It’s a new year, a time when many people look for a new change and make some positive changes.
Sadly, not everyone.
In particular, it seems blackmail gang show no sign of giving up their criminal activity by 2023.
Then again, why are they?
Ransomware was one of the big cybersecurity issues of last year – and years before that – when cybercriminals used file-encrypting malware against mass victims, including universities, schools, hospitals and more.
The goal of ransomware attacks is simple; make money by demanding ransom payments in exchange for decryption keys to (possibly) unlock encrypted systems.
These ransom demands can be in the millions of dollars. But while national governments, law enforcement and cybersecurity firms warns that victims should never pay the ransom as it only encourages further attacks, many do; either because they feel helpless or because they think it is the fastest way to retrieve their encrypted files. Not that scammers can be trusted to keep their word.
Also: Ransomware: Why it’s Still a Big Threat and Where the Gangs Go Next
Not every ransomware victim makes a ransom claim, instead choose to meticulously restore their network from scratch, which can take weeks or even months – but a significant number of victims pay, which is why ransomware continues to be a major cybersecurity threat – because it works and makes money for criminals.
But ransomware is not some abstract threat whose impact is limited to the victim technology or organization and its employees – it also often has an impact on the general public.
Just last week, the UK’s Royal Mail has apparently been hit by what has been reported by multiple outlets that have treated the ransom note as a Lockbit ransomware. While, The Guardian recently revealed that the cyberattack it was hit with late last month was ransomware.
Also: The real cost of ransomware is even greater than we thought
Both are examples of how ransomware attacks are having an impact on the services people use and rely on every day.
Of course, ransomware attacks are a difficult problem to deal with – international in nature, with gangs often hiding in jurisdictions out of the reach of law enforcement and primarily demanding Cryptocurrency payments are hard to track. But hopes they will simply disappear won’t come true – it’s time to act. Law enforcement agencies have had some success fighting gangs, but more needs to be done.
This is a much bigger problem than technology and should be treated as such, especially when gangs are poised to threaten the key services and organizations we rely on.
ZDNET’s SECOND OPENING
ZDNet’s Monday intro is our opening for the week on technology, written by members of our editorial team.
BEFORE ZDNET’s SECOND OPENING:
