Criminal hackers employ ransomware attacks against their targets by encrypting their data and demanding that a ransom be paid within an allotted timeframe or risk losing it forever.
When an organization becomes infected with ransomware, it must first isolate affected systems and disconnect them from the network before prioritizing restoration of critical services and creating backup plans.
CDK Ransomware Attack
CDK Global was recently hit with ransomware that caused serious disruption at car dealerships. To restore operations quickly, backup systems are being utilized and some manual processes have had to be reinstated in some areas of operation.
Uncertain as to their method, attackers likely accessed 15,000 dealerships through either phishing schemes or exploited unpatched software vulnerabilities and deployed ransomware that encrypted key files before shutting down their systems – likely as part of BlackSuit ransomware gang’s double-extortion tactic.
Due to the outage, many dealerships were forced to revert back to paper-based processes during which customer relationships, financing, service, inventory and inventory management all suffered significant disruptions. One dealership–Asbury Automotive Group–claimed it had lost up to $10 million daily due to being unable to operate digitally.
Bloomberg reported that hackers demanded tens of millions of dollars as ransom in order to restore CDK systems, prompting the company to suspend services temporarily before consulting cybersecurity experts in assessing any damage. Dealerships who cut access to CDK are currently waiting for CDK to provide them with a letter of attestation before they resume activities with CDK again – another reminder of the importance of auditing and vetting vendors to minimize risks from attacks that could have severe repercussions.
Ransomware Attack Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls, which manufactures industrial control systems, security systems and HVAC equipment, recently experienced disruptions to its internal IT infrastructure and applications. To mitigate their effect, the company is working to minimize impact while simultaneously assessing what information was compromised.
BleepingComputer reported that an attack began at one of a company’s Asian offices and resulted in attackers breaching its IT infrastructure and taking control of key parts of its network. Technical outage messages have since appeared on both login pages and customer portals of its website; no word yet as to whether any ransom payment was made to Dark Angels hackers responsible, who have made headlines for breaching corporate networks to demand payment in return for stolen data, publishing it through Dunghill Leaks website.
Johnson Controls’ recent ransomware attack underscores the significance of creating strong cybersecurity protocols, providing employee training, and employing tools designed to prevent cyberattacks. It also illustrates the necessity of creating an organization-wide culture that embraces and supports cybersecurity initiatives – particularly when protecting sensitive business information. Furthermore, this incident has highlighted regulatory and compliance requirements. Many companies must comply with stringent data protection regulations, and performing regular audits to identify vulnerabilities before they become a problem is vital to ensure their defences can withstand evolving attacks.
Wannacry Ransomware Attack
The WannaCry ransomware attack was one of the largest cyberattacks ever. It infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide and caused massive disruptions in business operations. Attackers demanded a ransom in bitcoin for victims who wanted access to their files again; otherwise they were warned their files would be deleted permanently. Furthermore, this attack highlighted the need for companies to regularly upgrade their software.
The malware spread by exploiting Windows’ Server Message Block (SMB) protocol – used by computers to share files across networks – and EternalBlue exploit from NSA, stolen by Shadow Brokers group before its leak in April 2017 by Microsoft patch release. Unfortunately, many users did not apply it.
WannaCry ransomware differed from traditional ransomware in that it spread via network wormholes, infiltrating computers one at a time and encrypting each victim machine’s files before moving on to other unpatched machines on the network – only being stopped from spreading further after security expert Marcus Hutchins from England discovered a kill switch that stopped this attack from spreading further.
The WannaCry attack helped revolutionize how we view cybersecurity. Instead of simply blocking attacks and installing anti-virus solutions, businesses should implement real-time cybersecurity monitoring, third-party risk management processes and vendor risk evaluation systems in order to reduce ransomware’s impact; turning an attack from disaster to minor inconvenience.
Fulton County Ransomware Attack
Fulton County remains committed to restoring services disrupted by a cyberattack last month, including police incident reports and utility bill payments, property records access, jail detainee processing forms via paper forms only, marriage certificate issuing or gun permits being among them.
LockBit, a notorious hacking group, issued a ransom demand against the county that they claimed would release sensitive documents unless payment was made immediately. They posted screenshots of county documents online before demanding that more sensitive material be revealed in return.
Law enforcement efforts, which included seizing three dozen servers and arresting two alleged members of LockBit, contributed to its removal. Experts claim this disruption sends a strong signal that ransomware gangs cannot operate with impunity; it remains to be seen what the long-term repercussions will be of this action on other ransomware gangs; furthermore, Pitts noted the need for local governments to improve cybersecurity; some lessons from LockBit have already been implemented within his county government.
Ascension Health Ransomware Attack
Ransomware attack on one of the US’ largest Catholic hospital chains resulted in patient appointments being postponed, but this healthcare organization reassured patients that patient safety remains their highest priority and are working closely with authorities in order to learn from the incident. This incident highlights the significance of having an incident response plan in place.
Ascension Health System reported that its EHR systems have almost been restored nationwide and anticipates completion by next week. Furthermore, Ascension implemented a process to thwart further attacks against its network as well as security measures to keep information safe and keep hackers at bay from accessing private data.
Ascension’s investigation determined that attackers had stolen files from seven of its 25,000 server systems that contain “information used for daily and routine tasks.” Although details on what type of information may have been taken are currently unknown, Ascension plans on performing an in-depth review of all removed files and will contact individuals impacted if needed.
Ascension Health’s attackers may be the same group responsible for its earlier assault against Change Healthcare Network earlier this year. A hacker identified this gang through Black Basta News website which employs “name and shame” tactics in its attacks.
How to Defend Against Ransomware Attacks?
To prevent ransomware attacks, it’s crucial to be proactive. This requires adopting an integrated defense approach consisting of backups, cyber insurance and training employees on how to spot suspicious emails or messages. Furthermore, network segmentation techniques must also be put in place in addition to remote access security and intrusion detection systems as additional defense measures.
Ransomware infections typically display some sort of notification on an infected computer or device – such as a window, app, or full-screen message – demanding money in order to regain access to files and devices. In extreme cases, ransomware encrypts files, rendering their recovery impossible without decryption keys; unfortunately paying the ransom doesn’t ensure files will be restored and attackers may continue their attacks against other systems or even wipe out key organizational infrastructures altogether.
An effective defense strategy requires backing up data in a location not connected with an organization’s network, such as cloud storage or USB drives, that will limit ransomware’s spread while making file recovery simpler for organizations. Furthermore, critical systems should be backed up frequently and tested periodically in order to ensure their usability.
On public Wi-Fi networks, it’s critical that users utilize VPN services and avoid clicking any untrustworthy links found in spam messages or emails, in order to safeguard their personal data against hackers who could potentially use it in targeted phishing attacks. Furthermore, any time someone asks for your personal details uninvitedly don’t give any out. Likewise if an unknown caller or texter asks for your details be wary – never provide such details without first verifying them first!