Dear Rupert,
As the number of cyber attacks continues to dramatically increase in 2020, criminals are stepping up their attempts to monetize the exploitation of networks. Known extortionists like Fancy Bear and Lazarus Group, that demand payment in cryptocurrency, usually Bitcoin, are being joined by many new, copycat groups. Unfortunately, because of the push to online business operations and ease of launching large-scale attacks, ransom attacks have never been so profitable!
We understand, first-hand, that dealing with a ransom attack can be a nightmare because Neustar protects hundreds of enterprises from harm. Daily.
Recently, we have been detecting and mitigating an increased volume of ransom attacks using a variety of tactics:
- Traditional, large-scale DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks that block access to a website(s) unless an expressed ransom is paid.
- Small scale, quick DDoS attacks launched as a smokescreen to plant ransomware that encrypts files. In order to unlock these files, a ransom is demanded.
- Phishing and targeted spear-phishing campaigns that encourage employees to visit websites with known vulnerabilities in order to infect networks with malware that then leads to a ransom demand. This ploy can involve DDoS, may focus on data exfiltration as the promoted threat, or in many instances, do both.
To find out how Neustar helps IT professionals, just like you, defend against this growing threat, please request a contact from one of our security experts.
Ransom attacks can be prevented through a multi-layered, proven approach. Neustar is here to help.
