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Tag: ransomware

Italian ransomware attack highlights bad patch management

TARGETING THE WEAK The newest attack impacted servers across Italy. At its peak, traffic was reduced to 26% of normal levels across the country. Servers in France, Finland, the United States, and Canada were also affected. The French cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, which issued the first alert on Friday, warned of continuing attacks against vulnerable servers in the days to come, and reiterated its guidance to administrators to patch their affected systems. So, in case we’re keeping score, here’s where we’re at: VMware identified a weakness in its products 2 years ago. The company...

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Ransomware and remote workers: 8 tips to stay safe

CYBERCRIMINALS ADAPT After millions of workers worldwide were sent home following the first wave of lockdowns in March 2020, cybercriminals shifted gears. Amid the chaos of those early days, as corporate IT focused on keeping remote workers productive, ransomware attacks skyrocketed, with the FBI reporting a 62% increase in ransomware reports in the first half of 2021 compared to the same year-ago period. This follows a 20% increase in 2020. None of this came as any surprise to those of us in IT; the pandemic opened the door and malicious actors were only too happy to walk through....

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Is Your Organization Prepared for a Ransomware Attack?

HOW THE ATTACKS WORK Malicious software is used to deny access to data or systems until or unless the attacker’s ransom demands are met. Methods for delivering the malware payload vary, with the three of the most common being phishing emails, exploitation of application vulnerabilities, and delivery via remote desktop protocol (RDP). The use of phishing emails as an attack vector is currently on the rise. Once successfully delivered, the malware propagates across data storage environments and/or vulnerable systems, rendering systems and data inaccessible. Attackers then demand ransoms...

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