You don’t need me to tell you what a ransomware attack could do to your business. We’ve all read the stories. Even the largest multinationals have been crippled by malware encrypting or stealing sensitive data. The result is a Hobson’s choice for IT managers: pay the criminal gang an exorbitant ransom demand or face costly downtime, reputational damage, and regulatory scrutiny. Thankfully, your fate is in your hands. Ransomware attacks aren’t random.
Kroll has recently observed a new malware strain called “Bumblebee” operating as a loader, delivered via phishing email, in order to deploy additional payloads for use in ransomware operations. The malware takes its name from the unique user-agent (since changed), which it used to connect to command and control (C2) servers. It was first reported by Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) in March 2022, with the first sample submitted to VirusTotal on March 1.
While living in the 21st century, no one can live off offline modes of payment all the time. Financial institutions, especially banks, have gone the extra mile to ease the process for their clients in the meantime, attracting cybercriminals and their ever-changing malware as threats to their information security. Tinba is one such threat especially plaguing Windows. Read on to know more about the tiny virus and its not so tiny implications.
In March 2022, researchers spotted a new ransomware family named GoodWill, with a new method to collect the ransom. Instead of requesting payment through crypto coins like other threats such as Night Sky or Hive, GoodWill requests that its victims help vulnerable people by following a sequence of steps, such as donating clothes, feeding less fortunate children, or providing financial assistance to hospital patients.
Many of the most prolific ransomware attacks to hit the news, such as Wannacry and Petya in 2017, affected PC users only. The distinct absence of Apple computers in the long list of victims has many Mac users wondering if ransomware attacks are a cyber threat they need to worry about. Can ransomware affect Macs? Short answer: Yes. While rare, security researchers have noted examples of Mac-compatible ransomware variants.
