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ransomware

November 23, 2020 By PC Portal

Cyber News Rundown: REvil Ransomware Strikes

REvil Ransomware Strikes Hosting Provider

In recent days the web hosting provider Managed.com has been working to recover from a ransomware attack targeting many of their core systems. While the company was able to stop the spread of the attack by shutting down their systems and client websites, it remains unclear what information may have been encrypted and sent elsewhere. The demanded ransom is equal to $500,000 in Monero cryptocurrency and is set to double if not paid in the next week.

Cyberattack Shuts Down Americold Operations

Cold storage provider Americold revealed this week it was forced to shut down many of its systems after discovering evidence of a cyberattack. Some variant of ransomware is thought to be responsible for the attack, which has disabled several customer-facing services and could still be affecting Americold. Fortunately, the company responded quickly and was able to stop the attack from spreading across its network, which could have caused significantly more damage, especially if financial information was accessed.

Ticketmaster Receives Fine for 2018 Data Breach

More than two years after Ticketmaster announced a data breach had compromised a significant amount of customer information, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has settled on a fine of £1.25 million. The attack was significant because, while multiple organizations warned Ticketmaster of the breach, the company did nothing to resolve the security lapse. Officials also discovered that upwards of 60,000 customer payment cards were used for additional fraudulent activity after the Ticketmaster breach.

Healthcare Remains Easiest Target for Cyberattacks

A recent survey of healthcare organizations found that 73% had computer systems totally unprepared to repel a cyberattack. Attackers are improving their operations rapidly compared to security improvements being implemented by these organizations, even with the increasing year-over-year cybersecurity spending. To make matters worse, pressure put on the healthcare industry by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many facilities to put security improvements on hold as they deal with increased patient numbers.

Severity of Capcom Breach Continues to Rise

A ransomware attack on Capcom that was initially suspected to not affect customer data has been found to be more severe than first thought. Upwards of 135,000 customers, employees and other individuals with ties to the company may have had sensitive personal information compromised. While Capcom has confirmed that payment data is processed through a third-party and isn’t stored on their systems, internal documents and statements seem to have been compromised by the attack.

The post Cyber News Rundown: REvil Ransomware Strikes appeared first on Webroot Blog.

Filed Under: Industry Intel, IT Security Tagged With: ransomware, syndicated

November 6, 2020 By PC Portal

Cyber News Rundown: Maze Ransomware Shuts Down

Reading Time: ~ 2 min.

Maze Ransomware Group Ends Operations

A press release issued this week announced the end of the Maze ransomware group’s data theft operations. In the release, the Maze authors revealed their motives behind one of the most successful ransomware campaigns to date, and why they chose to finally shut down their massive project. It also stated the Maze team was working to expose the major security holes key industries fail to address, though their methods created many victims.  

Magecart Targets International Gold Retailer

Nearly three months after a data breach caused by a Magecart attack struck the international precious metals retailer, JM Bullion has finally released an official statement to customers. After identifying unauthorized activity on their systems in the mid-July, the company went on to find that their systems had been compromised since February by Magecart payment card-skimming software. The company has yet to acknowledge why took so long to discover the breach or why it failed to follow GDPR regulations by immediately contacting affected customers.

Ryuk Remains Top Player Throughout 2020

With ransomware continuing its stay at the top of the cyberthreat throne, Ryuk variants have been responsible for over a third of all ransomware attacks in 2020 alone or roughly 67 million attacks. Ryuk has been around for over two years, but found much greater success this year after being found responsible for only 5,100 attacks in 2019. Ransomware attacks grew 40 percent over last year, to nearly 200 million as of Q3.

Cannabis Site Leaves Database Exposed

An unsecured database belonging to cannabis website GrowDiaries and housing over 3.4 million user records was found to be accessible last month. The data included 1.4 million user passwords that were encrypted using MD5 hashing, which is known to be easily unlocked by cybercriminals. Nearly a week after being informed of the database GrowDiaries properly secured it from public access, though it remains unclear how long it was accessible or who accessed it during that time.

Mattel Reveals Ransomware Attack

Following a July ransomware attack, Mattel has finally issued an official statement regarding the overall damage. The company has confirmed that no data was stolen during the attack, which was quickly identified by their security, and many systems were taken offline to prevent any damage or theft occured. The ransomware attack was likely perpetrated by TrickBot, as it’s known for concentrating on large organizations and leaving them exposed for some encrypting variant to follow.

The post Cyber News Rundown: Maze Ransomware Shuts Down appeared first on Webroot Blog.

Filed Under: Industry Intel, IT Security Tagged With: ransomware, syndicated

October 30, 2020 By PC Portal

Cyber News Rundown: Flash Banned from Windows

Reading Time: ~ 2 min.

Adobe Flash Being Uninstalled on Windows Systems

Following its September announcement, Microsoft has released an update that removes Adobe Flash from Windows 10 systems and prevents reinstallation. It should be noted that this update only removes the version of Adobe Flash that comes bundled with Windows 10. Internet browser extensions and stand-alone installs of the software will remain unaffected by this update. Should the user want to re-install Adobe Flash on an updated system, they must either revert to a point prior to the update or perform a fresh install of Windows 10.

Gunnebo Suffers Critical Data Breach

Officials for Gunnebo, a Swedish security firm, have revealed that they were victims of a data breach in August. Researchers also discovered an 18GB file confirmed to contain customer information stolen from Gunnebo. The compromised data was uploaded to a public server after Gunnebo refused to pay a ransom, exposing roughly 38,000 sensitive files.

Finnish Health Center Hacked

It was recently revealed that the Finnish psychotherapy center Vastaamo suffered a ransomware attack that compromised highly sensitive patient data belonging to thousands of individuals. After refusing to pay a 40 Bitcoin ransom, the attackers began publishing the stolen data on the dark web. While officials have yet to determine when the breach occurred, they have been contacting victims about the stolen data since October 21.

Customer Accounts at UK Restaurant Chain Breached

Recent technology changes at restaurants and other public establishments like touchless methods of interaction have left UK restaurants open major security flaws. One such flaw has been exploited at UK restaurant chain Nando’s, with several customer accounts affected. By accessing previous account logins and using credentials that were stolen in prior cyberattacks, hackers have been able to create fraudulent orders. The company has since confirmed that, though they themselves weren’t the target of the breach, they will compensate any customers who are fraudulently charged.

Ryuk Suspected in Major Steelcase Attack

International furniture maker Steelcase was forced to take its systems offline following a ransomware attack that began late last week. It is believed that the attack used the highly active ransomware variant, Ryuk, though this has yet to be confirmed by Steelcase. By shutting down the remaining unaffected systems, Steelcase hopes it was able to stop the spread of encryption before irreparable damage was caused.

The post Cyber News Rundown: Flash Banned from Windows appeared first on Webroot Blog.

Filed Under: data breach, Industry Intel, IT Security Tagged With: ransomware, syndicated

October 27, 2020 By PC Portal

The Nastiest Malware of 2020

Reading Time: ~ 4 min.

For the third year running, we’ve examined the year’s biggest cyber threats and ranked them to determine which ones are the absolute worst. Somewhat unsurprisingly, phishing and RDP-related breaches remain the top methods we’ve seen cybercriminals using to launch their attacks. Additionally, while new examples of malware and cybercriminal tactics crop up each day, plenty of the same old players, such as ransomware, continue to get upgrades and dominate the scene.

For example, a new trend in ransomware this year is the addition of a data leak/auction website, where criminals will reveal or auction off data they’ve stolen in a ransomware attack if the victim refuses to pay. The threat of data exposure creates a further incentive for victims to pay ransoms, lest they face embarrassing damage to their personal or professional reputations, not to mention hefty fines from privacy-related regulatory bodies like GDPR.

But the main trend we’ll highlight here is that of modularity. Today’s malicious actors have adopted a more modular malware methodology, in which they combine attack methods and mix-and-match tactics to ensure maximum damage and/or financial success.

Here are a few of nastiest characters and a breakdown of how they can work together.

  • Emotet botnet + TrickBot Trojan + Conti/Ryuk ransomware
    There’s a reason Emotet has topped our list for 3 years in a row. Even though it’s not a ransomware payload itself, it’s the botnet that is responsible for the most ransomware infections, making it pretty darn nasty. It’s often seen with TrickBot, Dridex, QakBot, Conti/Ryuk, BitPaymer and REvil.

    Here’s how an attack might start with Emotet and end with ransomware. The botnet is used in a malicious spam campaign. An unwitting employee at a company receives the spam email, accidentally downloads the malicious payload. With its foot in the door, Emotet drops TrickBot, an info-stealing Trojan. TrickBot spreads laterally through the network like a worm, infecting every machine it encounters. It “listens” for login credentials (and steals them), aiming to get domain-level access. From there, attackers can perform recon on the network, disable protections, and drop Conti/Ryuk ransomware at their leisure.
  • Ursnif Trojan + IcedID Trojan + Maze ransomware
    Ursnif, also known as Gozi or Dreambot, is a banking Trojan that has resurfaced after being mostly dormant for a few years. In an attack featuring this troublesome trio, Ursnif might land on a machine via a malicious spam email, botnet, or even TrickBot, and then drop the IcedID Trojan to improve the attackers’ chances of getting the credentials or intel they want. (Interestingly, IcedID has been upgraded to use steganographic payloads. Steganography in malware refers to concealing malicious code inside another file, message, image or video.) Let’s say the Trojans obtain the RDP credentials for the network they’ve infected. In this scenario, the attackers can now sell those credentials to other bad actors and/or deploy ransomware, typically Maze. (Fun fact: Maze is believed to have “pioneered” the data leak/auction website trend.)
  • Dridex/Emotet malspam + Dridex Trojan + BitPaymer/DoppelPaymer ransomware

Like TrickBot, Dridex is another very popular banking/info-stealing Trojan that’s been around for years. When Dridex is in play, it is either dropped via Emotet or its authors’ own malicious spam campaign. Also like TrickBot, Dridex spreads laterally, listens for credentials, and typically deploys ransomware like BitPaymer/DoppelPaymer.

As you can see, there are a variety of ways the attacks can be carried out, but the end goal is the more or less the same. The diverse means just help ensure the likelihood of success.

The characters mentioned above are, by no means, the only names on our list. Here are some of the other notable contenders for Nastiest Malware.

  • Sodinokibi/REvil/GandCrab ransomware – all iterations of the same ransomware, this ransomware as a service (RaaS) payload is available for anyone to use, as long as the authors get a cut of any successful ransoms.
  • CrySiS/Dharma/Phobos ransomware – also RaaS payloads, these are almost exclusively deployed using compromised RDP credentials that are either brute-forced or easily guessed.
  • Valak – a potent multi-functional malware distribution tool. Not only does it commonly distribute nasty malware such as IcedID and Ursnif, but it also has information stealing functionalities built directly into the initial infection.
  • QakBot – an info-stealing Trojan often dropped by Emotet or its own malspam campaigns with links to compromised websites. It’s similar to TrickBot and Dridex and may be paired with ProLock ransomware.

Combine protections to combat combined attacks.

If businesses want to stay safe, they need to implement multiple layers of protection against these types of layered attacks. Here are some tips from our experts.

  • Lock down RDP. Security analyst Tyler Moffitt says unsecured RDP has risen over 40% since the COVID-19 pandemic began because more businesses are enabling their workforce to work remotely. Unfortunately, many are not doing so securely. He recommends businesses use RDP solutions that encrypt the data and use multi-factor authentication to increase security when remoting into other machines.
  • Educate end users about phishing. Principal product manager Phil Karcher points out that many of the attack scenarios listed above could be prevented with stronger phishing/spam awareness among end users. He recommends running regular security training and phishing simulations with useful feedback. He also says it’s critical that employees know when and how to report a suspicious message.
  • Install reputable cybersecurity software. Security intelligence director Grayson Milbourne can’t stress enough the importance of choosing a solution that uses real-time threat intelligence and offers multi-layered shielding to detect and prevent multiple kinds of attacks at different attack stages.
  • Set up a strong backup and disaster recovery plan. VP of product management Jamie Zajac says that, particularly with a mostly or entirely remote workforce, businesses can’t afford not to have a strong backup. She strongly recommends regular backup testing and setting alerts and regular reporting so admins can easily see if something’s amiss.

Discover more about the 2020’s Nastiest Malware on the Webroot Community.

The post The Nastiest Malware of 2020 appeared first on Webroot Blog.

Filed Under: Business + Partners, IT Security, SMBs Tagged With: Malware, ransomware, syndicated

October 9, 2020 By PC Portal

Cyber News Rundown: COVID-related Attacks Target Canadian Companies

Reading Time: ~ 2 min.

New Jersey Hospital Pays Massive Ransom

Officials have decided to pay roughly $670,000 in ransom following a ransomware attack on the University Hospital in New Jersey. The hospital was likely forced into this decision after being unable to restore from backups the 240GB of data stolen in the attack on their systems. It’s not entirely clear what information was stolen, but given the haste of payment it was likely highly sensitive patient data.

COVID-Related Cyberattacks Target Canadian Companies

A recent survey revealed that over 25% of all Canadian business organizations had been targeted by a COVID-19-themed cyberattack since the beginning of the year. Most of the organizations surveyed also reported seeing a significant rise in overall cyberattacks since the pandemic began. Worrisome findings also revealed that 38% of organizations surveyed were unsure if they had fallen victim to any type of cyberattack, which could mean the amount of customer information for sale on black markets could be significantly higher.

Boom! Mobile Website Compromised

Customer data has been compromised for users of the Boom! Mobile website, which was infiltrated by malicious JavaScript. It’s still unclear how the unauthorized code got onto the site or how long was active. Officials for the mobile company have confirmed they do not store payment card data and that no Boom! Mobile accounts were compromised.

Major Ransomware Attacks Increase Through Q3

Researchers have reported a massive increase in ransomware attacks in Q3 of 2020, with the Maze group being responsible for 12% of all attacks. They also reported that Ryuk ransomware variants were responsible for an average of 20 attacks per week. With the ongoing neglect of cybersecurity in major corporations, ransomware attacks will likely continue as long as their authors find them profitable.

Chicago Food Delivery Service Stricken with Data Breach

Nearly 800,000 customer records were compromised following a data breach at ChowBus, a Chicago-based food delivery service. With roughly 440,000 unique email addresses exposed, many individuals are now more susceptible to additional phishing attacks or identity theft. Fortunately, however, ChowBus does not store payment card information on its site.

The post Cyber News Rundown: COVID-related Attacks Target Canadian Companies appeared first on Webroot Blog.

Filed Under: data breach, Industry Intel, IT Security Tagged With: ransomware, syndicated

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