![[Heads-up] Will Proposed New Laws *Ban* Making Ransomware Payments?](https://i0.wp.com/www.optricsinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/justice-2060093_1920.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1)
The ransomware scourge has become much worse the last 12 months. Highly organized cybercrime gangs have iterated their attacks into a massive extortion racket. They are focusing on easy prey, and recently dozens of local governments, school systems and non-profits have been infected, apart from very visible large companies that suffered weeks of downtime. To […]
![[Heads-up] The Evil Ryuk Ransomware Strain Now Uses Wake-on-Lan To Encrypt Your *Offline* Devices](https://i0.wp.com/www.optricsinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/death-164761_1280.jpg?fit=600%2C397&ssl=1)
[Heads-up] The Evil Ryuk Ransomware Strain Now Uses Wake-on-Lan To Encrypt Your *Offline* Devices
You must have heard of RYUK before. It’s one of the most nasty, evil ransomware strains attributed to the North Korean state sponsored cyber criminals. They are an APT—Advanced Persistent Threat— and go in silent, live undetected on your network for months, and then one very bad day they encrypt all devices on the network […]
Defending Against Ransomware is a Team Effort
Ransomware operators have grown very skilled in targeting exactly what will compel an organization to pay up, according to Andrew Brandt, principal researcher at Sophos. On the CyberWire’s Hacking Humans podcast, Brandt explained that organizations of all sizes are at risk from targeted ransomware attacks. Earlier ransomware attacks, like WannaCry in 2017, went after any […]
Leaving Windows 7 in Production Puts You at High Risk of Ransomware Attack
Microsoft end-of-support for Windows 7 means systems will remain unpatched, creating an opportunity for future ransomware attacks to wreak havoc. It’s time for a brief history lesson: Remember WannaCry? It was so successful because of unpatched systems. And this week marked the end of support for all Windows 7 devices. Estimated to represent as much […]
Auto Dealership Becomes Latest Victim of Ransomware Attack Costing Up to $500,000
The opening of a seemingly benign email from a coworker by an unsuspecting employee set in motion an attack that brought operations to a halt and resulted in some costly remediation. The Arrigo Automotive Group in West Palm Beach, FL became the latest victim of a ransomware attack that crippled most of the computers across […]
![[New Ransomware Threat] Now Cyber Criminals Demand Ransom From The PATIENTS After A Plastic Surgery Clinic Data Breach](https://i0.wp.com/www.optricsinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/surgery-1807541_1920.jpg?fit=600%2C396&ssl=1)
[New Ransomware Threat] Now Cyber Criminals Demand Ransom From The PATIENTS After A Plastic Surgery Clinic Data Breach
Just when you thought it could not get any worse… it did. Criminal hackers are now demanding that all the patients of Florida provider Richard Davis, MD pay a ransom to prevent the release of their personal information following a breach of the clinic’s server. HealthITSecurity had the scoop, and Jessica David reported: “January 10, […]
Major Dutch University Still Fighting Ransomware Downtime; Expert Says Russian Hacker Group Responsible
Major Dutch Maastricht University was still trying to recover from a crippling cyber attack nearly a week after the university’s computer systems were infected by ransomware. New York-based cyber expert Vitali Kremez said that Russian organized cybercrime outfit TA505 is responsible, they distribute Clop, a ransomware strain first discovered in February 2019. The University which […]
![[Heads-up] Ransomware attack forces Arkansas CEO to fire 300 employees days before Christmas](https://i0.wp.com/www.optricsinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/board-895399_1920.jpg?fit=600%2C376&ssl=1)
[Heads-up] Ransomware attack forces Arkansas CEO to fire 300 employees days before Christmas
The chief executive officer of a telemarketing company in Sherwood, Arkansas has let go 300 employees after the company failed to recover from a ransomware infection a few months back. In a deeply apologetic letter to employees, The Heritage Company CEO Sandra Franecke said two months ago their servers were attacked by hackers who demanded […]
1000+ Schools Hit By Ransomware Fueled by October Attack Wave
October was a busy month for the bad guys who targeted school districts and students across the USA in a wave of new ransomware attacks. A report released by Armor, a global security solutions provider, noted a substantial rise in ransomware attacks against schools (and school districts) since October 2019. “The report identified 11 new […]
Dancing with Hackers
Dancing with the Stars pro Witney Carson announced on Twitter that her Facebook account had been hacked. Unknown miscreants gained control of Carson’s Facebook through a unique phishing technique and proceeded to upload spamming material to not only her page, but resharing items to other celebrity pages. Now, there are two questions that immediately come […]