Far from slowing down, the phenomenon is growing more and more.
Ransomware cyber attacks have been in the news for several years. Malicious actors also seem to no longer impose limits, as evidenced by this ransomware which now affects healthcare establishments and puts the lives of patients in danger.
In the past, cybercriminals would just encrypt files and demand a ransom for their recovery. They now practice and so-called double extortion strategy. Concretely, hackers threaten to disseminate the stolen data online if the victim does not pay the requested amount.
The lure of profit is very strong, and strategies are improving
And for those who refuse to take the plunge, it sometimes carried the threat out. To illustrate this phenomenon, our colleagues from BleepingComputer relied on data from DarkTracer, a researcher specializing in the dark web. The latter has identified no less than 2,103 companies whose data they have leaked online since 2019.
The lure of profit is very strong, and strategies are improving
Faced with the risk, many companies are now being convinced. This works especially since many companies still prefer to lose their information than to see it leaked on the Internet.
They involved 34 ransomware gangs in these operations. Our colleagues cite in particular Team Snatch, MAZE, Conti, or even NetWalker. The trend is so strong that spaces specializing in the data breach market have even emerged in recent months.
Faced with this increasingly concrete danger, the mobilization is organized. A coalition of experts has recently emerged. It includes leaders of large technology groups like Microsoft or McAfee, as well as FBI officials. In a recently unveiled roadmap, these specialists provide some avenues for tackling this phenomenon head-on.
They advocate in particular international cooperation on the subject where the United States would work in concert with other governments. Finally, better regulation of the cryptocurrency sector is called for, as this would hit the cybercriminals’ business model head-on.
