Ransomware

Lehigh Valley Health Network ransomware attack resulted in a $65 million settlement. Hackers stole nude photos of cancer patients, demanding a ransom.

The NCSC has warned that AI integration in cyber operations will likely intensify the global ransomware threat in the next two years, as per a new report.

G Data malware analyst Anna Lvova highlighted the distinctive nature of ZPAQ, citing its superior compression ratio and journaling functionality compared to more commonly used formats like ZIP and RAR.

Welsh company Owens Group was the victim of a devastating breach, culminating in the exposure of its confidential data on Lockbit's shadowy domain on the "dark web".

ICBC Financial Services released a statement acknowledging the ransomware attack, noting that certain systems were affected.

Johnson Controls, headquartered in Cork, Ireland, formerly founded in Milwaukee, experienced a significant cybersecurity incident suspected to be ransomware, with details undisclosed.

BlackCat issued a threat to Barts Trust, stating that the organisation had three days to establish contact regarding the cyber attack and data theft.

The UK and international agencies issue advisory warnings about the ongoing threat from Lockbit ransomware, the most deployed variant globally in 2022.

Shell, the oil and gas giant, acknowledges being affected by the Clop ransomware attack on the MOVEit file transfer tool, highlighting potential data breaches and ongoing investigations.

It's difficult to judge the effect the cyber-army is having.

There was no information about who was behind the cyberattack, or what their demands were.

The internet giant took down some 63 million Google Docs and terminated over 1,100 Google accounts

It was reportedly a malware network called Trickbot which is used by cybercriminals to distribute ransomware and more.

First detected in January, GandCrab has been deemed one of the most aggressive forms of ransomware this year.

Foreign office minister for cybersecurity Lord Ahmad has criticised Russian military for the NotPetya attack that crippled Ukraine and 64 countries.

A separate database that contained personal details of 53,000 current and former Sacramento Bee subscribers was also compromised.

Similar to other ransomware, Scarabey demands a Bitcoin payment from victims after infecting their system and encrypting all files.

"It is interesting to see a new ransomware being distributed via exploit kits in what so far seems to be a few ongoing campaigns," researchers said.

Hackers targeted Bitcoin payments of LockerR ransomware, GlobeImposter ransomware, Sigma ransomware and others.

Security researchers found that Dridex and BitPaymer ransomware, share several similarities in code and evasion techniques.

The discovery comes as cybercriminals increasingly tap into cryptocurrency as lures, payment options or attacks.

A US hospital has paid hackers $55,000 (£39,900) to restore control of its computer systems after they were infected with a strain of ransomware known as "SamSam".

A US hospital has been forced to shut down its computer systems for days after criminal hackers infected its network with file-locking ransomware and demanded payment.

North Korea said Thursday (20 December) that a US accusation that it was behind a major ransomware attack was a "grave political provocation" and vowed to retaliate.

"This case illustrates the Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS) model, as the services were offered to any criminal online," Europol said.

British firms are stockpiling cryptocurrencies including bitcoin and ethereum so they can pay off hackers in the event of a ransomware or malware attack.

The threat actors even provide instructions on how to download and use the Tor browser to access the payment site.

The malware called "Troubleshooter" infects a targeted device and displays the infamous, nerve-rattling BSOD to unsuspecting users.

One of the biggest computer botnets in the world – known as Necurs – recently hosted a massive spam campaign which spewed out more than 12.5 million emails containing ransomware.

"We expect this technique to be rehashed, broadened, and repurposed for other cyberattacks," Trend Micro researchers said.