التكنولوجيا وأخبارها بوابة مصر لأخبار تكنولوجيا المعلومات والإتصالات
, the largest ransomware epidemic in history, WannaCry, reached its peak. Three years
later, this and other ransomware threats arestill affectingpeople and companies. Recent
Kaspersky research has revealed that in 2019, WannaCry kept its position at the top of the
most prevalent ransomware families, while almost a third (30%) of those targeted by
ransomware were corporate users. On May 12, 2020, Kaspersky and INTERPOL urge
organizations to think about backing up their data and adopting relevant protection so
thatthey could avoid any potential ransomware siege anda catastrophe similar to
WannaCry doesn’t happen again.
Ransomware has become a big challenge for many organizations. Even though this is not
the most advanced threat from a technical point of view, it allows criminal actors to block
business operations and extort money. As a result of a ransomware incident, organizations
lost on average $1.46 million in 2019 ; which included costs for downtime, fines and
reputational damage. TheWannaCry attack became the most noticeable of its kind,
spreading with the help of an advanced cyber-weapon, EternalBlue, which is a complex and
effective exploit used to target the unpatched vulnerability in Windows. As a result,
WannaCry caused a real worldwide cyber-epidemic.
However there is little reason to give up, as protection from ransomware is possible
through feasible security measures. Today, on May 12, Kaspersky, together with INTERPOL, encouragesorganizations to follow these security practices and make sure they have
reliable protection against ransomware, especially since recent statistics confirm that the threat is still relevant.
According to Kaspersky’s research, a total of767,907 users were attacked by encryptors in
2019 – with almost a third of them (30%)being in businesses. Of all the encryption families, WannaCry still was the most common – in 2019, it attacked 164,433 usersand accounted
for 21% of all detected attacks. With a significant margin, it was followed by other families such asGandCrab (11%) and Stop (4%). The first one is a well-known ransomware-as-a-
service, developed by a team of criminals and rented to the broader community and has been distributed for years. The Stop ransomwarecampaign is also a well-known threat
spread through compromised software and websites,as well as adware.
“The WannaCry epidemic,which saw companies lose millions because of downtime or costs
related to reputational damage,demonstrated what can happen if ransomware happens on such a large scale. The threat remains relevant today, as there will be users out there who
still may not know much about it and can become a victim. The good news is that the right security approach and relevant measurescan make ransomware yet another non-critical
threat. And we would like Anti-Ransomware Day on May 12to become the day when businesses and users globally no longer face challengeswith ransomware,”
Martsynkyan, Head of B2B Product Marketing, Kaspersky.
To help businesses stay protected from ransomware, experts suggest that organizations
shouldtake the following anti-ransomware measures as soon as possible:
• Explain to employees how following simple rules can help a company avoidransomware
incidents. Dedicated training courses can help, such as the ones provided in the Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform.
• Always have fresh back-up copies of your files so you can replace them in case they are
lost (e.g. due to malware or a broken device) and store them not only on the physical object but also in cloud storage for greater reliability. Make sure you can quickly access
them in an emergency when needed.
• It is essential to install all security updates as soon as they become available. Always
update your operating system and software to eliminate recent vulnerabilities.
• Try free Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business. Its recently updated version
containsan exploit prevention feature to prevent ransomware and other threats from exploiting vulnerabilities in software and applications. It is also helpful for customers that
use Windows 7: with the end of support of Windows 7, new vulnerabilities in this system won’t be patched by the developer.
• If a corporate device is encrypted, remember that ransomware is a criminal offence. You
shouldn’t pay the ransom the attacks demand. If you become a victim, report it to your local law enforcement agency. Try to find a decryptor on the internet first – some of them are available for free here: https://www.nomoreransom.org/en/index.html
More findings on the ransomware threat found by Kaspersky’s experts are available by the link
