Ransomware will cost companies around the world $20 billion in 2021. Prepare for, recognise and survive ransomware attacks with this essential guide which sets out clearly how ransomware works, to help business leaders better understand the strategic risks, and explores measures that can be put in place to protect the organisation.
The threat of ransomware has consistently ranked at the top in the ENISA Threat Landscape for the past few years and, in particular, in 2021 it was assessed as being the prime cybersecurity threat across the EU. Motivated mainly by greed for money, the ransomware business model has grown exponentially in the last decade and it is projected to cost more than 10 trillion USD by 2025. The evolution of the business model to a more specialised and organised distribution of labour through a cybercrime-as-a-service model has turned ransomware into a commodity. Nowadays, it seems simpler for anyone with basic technical skills to quickly perform ransomware attacks. The introduction of cryptocurrency, the fact that affected companies actually do pay the ransom, and the more efficient division of work, have greatly fuelled the growth of ransomware, generating a catastrophic global effect. Even though ransomware is not new, technologies evolve and with them so do attacks and vulnerabilities, thus pressurising organisations to be always prepared for a ransomware attack. In many cases, staying in business requires difficult decisions, such as paying or not paying the ransom6, since this money ends up fuelling ransomware activities. This is despite year-long and consistent recommendation not to pay ransom demands and to contact the relevant cybersecurity authorities to assist in handling such incidents. This report brings new insights into the ransomware threat landscape through a careful study of 623 ransomware incidents from May 2021 to June 2022. The incidents were analysed in-depth to identify their core elements, providing answers to some important questions such as how do the attacks happen, are ransom demands being paid and which sectors are the most affected. The report focuses on ransomware incidents and not on the threat actors or tools, aiming to analyse ransomware attacks that actually happened as opposed to what could happen based on ransomware capabilities. This ransomware threat landscape has been developed on the basis of the recently published ENISA Cybersecurity Threat Landscape Methodology. The report starts by clearly defining what ransomware is since it has proven to be an elusive concept spanning various dimensions and including different stages. The definition is followed by a novel description of the types of ransomware that breaks the traditional classification and instead focuses on the four actions performed by ransomware, i.e. Lock, Encrypt, Delete, Steal (LEDS), and the assets at which these actions are aimed. By defining the types of ransomware, it is then possible to study the life cycle of ransomware and its business models. This characterisation of ransomware leads into the core of this report which is the deep analysis of 623 incidents and its summary in precise statistics. The report ends by highlighting recommendations for readers and key conclusions.
An accessible introduction to the most prevalent cyber threats in our current climate, this book discusses cyber terrorism, phishing, and ransomware attacks, and provides advice on how to mitigate such threats in our personal and professional lives.
This book is about cyber security, but it’s also about so much more; it’s about giving you the skills to think creatively about your role in the cyber security industry. In Part 1, the author discusses his thoughts on the cyber security industry and how those that operate within it should approach their role with the mindset of an artist. Part 2 explores the work of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. The author analyses key sections and reviews them through the lens of cyber security and data protection to derive how his teachings can be used within the cyber security industry. Although Tzu’s book on military strategy, tactics and operations was written more than 2,000 years ago, The Art of Cyber Security – A practical guide to winning the war on cyber crime reflects on how relevant Tzu’s words are for today’s technological era. This book celebrates the individuals who are striving to protect us in an ever-expanding technological era. Data and technology are so important to our lives, that protecting people who use technology is incredibly important. The professionals working to protect children, adults and corporations have a tough job, and this book celebrates their work while advocating ways for improving cyber security services and fighting cyber crime. This book will challenge your thinking and force you to approach cyber security and data protection from theoretical, philosophical, strategic, tactical and operational perspectives.
Written by an acknowledged expert on the ISO 27001 Standard, ISO 27001:2022 – An Introduction to information security and the ISMS standard is an ideal primer for anyone implementing an ISMS aligned to ISO 27001:2022. The guide is a must-have resource giving a clear, concise and easy-to-read introduction to information security.
Ransomware has become one of the most pervasive and damaging threats in the digital landscape, targeting organizations of all sizes and industries. In "Mastering Ransomware," cybersecurity expert Kris Hermans equips readers with the essential knowledge and strategies to protect their systems, detect and respond to ransomware attacks, and minimize the impact of these malicious incidents. With a deep understanding of the evolving threat landscape, Hermans guides readers through the intricacies of ransomware, demystifying its inner workings and providing practical insights to fortify defences. From prevention and preparedness to incident response and recovery, this book offers a comprehensive roadmap to master the battle against ransomware. Inside "Mastering Ransomware," you will: 1. Understand the ransomware landscape: Gain insights into the various types of ransomware, their delivery mechanisms, and the motivations of attackers. Learn how ransomware has evolved and adapted over time, enabling you to stay one step ahead of these relentless threats. 2. Strengthen your defences: Implement proactive measures to prevent ransomware attacks, such as robust cybersecurity practices, employee training, and vulnerability management. Discover effective methods to detect and block ransomware before it wreaks havoc on your systems. 3. Respond effectively to ransomware incidents: Develop an incident response plan tailored to ransomware attacks, enabling you to react swiftly and efficiently when facing a ransomware incident. Acquire the skills needed to investigate and contain the attack, minimize the impact, and restore operations. 4. Recover from ransomware attacks: Explore strategies to recover encrypted data and restore affected systems, including backup and recovery best practices. Learn how to navigate the delicate process of negotiation and payment, should it become necessary. 5. Mitigate future risks: Identify lessons learned from ransomware incidents and leverage them to strengthen your security posture. Understand the legal and regulatory considerations surrounding ransomware, as well as the importance of threat intelligence and continuous monitoring. With real-world case studies, practical examples, and actionable advice, "Mastering Ransomware" empowers readers to take a proactive stance against this pervasive threat. Kris Hermans' expertise and insights will guide you in developing a comprehensive ransomware defence strategy and enhancing your organization's resilience in the face of evolving threats. Don't let ransomware hold your organization hostage. Arm yourself with the knowledge and strategies to combat ransomware attacks with "Mastering Ransomware" as your trusted guide.
Know how to mitigate and handle ransomware attacks via the essential cybersecurity training in this book so you can stop attacks before they happen. Learn the types of ransomware, distribution methods, internal structure, families (variants), defense strategies, recovery methods, and legal issues related to reporting ransomware incidents to authorities and other affected parties. This book also teaches you how to develop a ransomware incident response plan to minimize ransomware damage and recover normal operations quickly. Ransomware is a category of malware that can encrypt your computer and mobile device files until you pay a ransom to unlock them. Ransomware attacks are considered the most prevalent cybersecurity threats today—the number of new ransomware variants has grown 30-fold since 2015 and they currently account for roughly 40% of all spam messages. Attacks have increased in occurrence from one every 40 seconds to one every 14 seconds. Government and private corporations are targets. Despite the security controls set by organizations to protect their digital assets, ransomware is still dominating the world of security and will continue to do so in the future. Ransomware Revealed discusses the steps to follow if a ransomware infection occurs, such as how to pay the ransom through anonymous payment methods, perform a backup and restore your affected files, and search online to find a decryption tool to unlock (decrypt) your files for free. Mitigation steps are discussed in depth for both endpoint devices and network systems. What You Will Learn Be aware of how ransomware infects your system Comprehend ransomware components in simple terms Recognize the different types of ransomware familiesIdentify the attack vectors employed by ransomware to infect computer systemsKnow how to prevent ransomware attacks from successfully comprising your system and network (i.e., mitigation strategies) Know what to do if a successful ransomware infection takes place Understand how to pay the ransom as well as the pros and cons of paying Set up a ransomware response plan to recover from such attacks Who This Book Is For Those who do not specialize in the cybersecurity field (but have adequate IT skills) and want to fully understand the anatomy of ransomware threats. Although most of the book's content will be understood by ordinary computer users, it will also prove useful for experienced IT users aiming to understand the ins and outs of ransomware threats without diving deep into the technical jargon of the internal structure of ransomware.
Explore the world of modern human-operated ransomware attacks, along with covering steps to properly investigate them and collecting and analyzing cyber threat intelligence using cutting-edge methods and tools Key FeaturesUnderstand modern human-operated cyber attacks, focusing on threat actor tactics, techniques, and proceduresCollect and analyze ransomware-related cyber threat intelligence from various sourcesUse forensic methods and tools to reconstruct ransomware attacks and prevent them in the early stagesBook Description Ransomware attacks have become the strongest and most persistent threat for many companies around the globe. Building an effective incident response plan to prevent a ransomware attack is crucial and may help you avoid heavy losses. Incident Response Techniques for Ransomware Attacks is designed to help you do just that. This book starts by discussing the history of ransomware, showing you how the threat landscape has changed over the years, while also covering the process of incident response in detail. You'll then learn how to collect and produce ransomware-related cyber threat intelligence and look at threat actor tactics, techniques, and procedures. Next, the book focuses on various forensic artifacts in order to reconstruct each stage of a human-operated ransomware attack life cycle. In the concluding chapters, you'll get to grips with various kill chains and discover a new one: the Unified Ransomware Kill Chain. By the end of this ransomware book, you'll be equipped with the skills you need to build an incident response strategy for all ransomware attacks. What you will learnUnderstand the modern ransomware threat landscapeExplore the incident response process in the context of ransomwareDiscover how to collect and produce ransomware-related cyber threat intelligenceUse forensic methods to collect relevant artifacts during incident responseInterpret collected data to understand threat actor tactics, techniques, and proceduresUnderstand how to reconstruct the ransomware attack kill chainWho this book is for This book is for security researchers, security analysts, or anyone in the incident response landscape who is responsible for building an incident response model for ransomware attacks. A basic understanding of cyber threats will be helpful to get the most out of this book.
Protect Your Organization from Devastating Ransomware and Cyber Extortion Attacks Ransomware and other cyber extortion crimes have reached epidemic proportions. The secrecy surrounding them has left many organizations unprepared to respond. Your actions in the minutes, hours, days, and months after an attack may determine whether you'll ever recover. You must be ready. With this book, you will be. Ransomware and Cyber Extortion is the ultimate practical guide to surviving ransomware, exposure extortion, denial-of-service, and other forms of cyber extortion. Drawing heavily on their own unpublished case library, cyber security experts Sherri Davidoff, Matt Durrin, and Karen Sprenger guide you through responding faster, minimizing damage, investigating more effectively, expediting recovery, and preventing it from happening in the first place. Proven checklists help your security teams act swiftly and effectively together, throughout the entire lifecycle--whatever the attack and whatever the source. Understand different forms of cyber extortion and how they evolved Quickly recognize indicators of compromise Minimize losses with faster triage and containment Identify threats, scope attacks, and locate "patient zero" Initiate and manage a ransom negotiation--and avoid costly mistakes Decide whether to pay, how to perform due diligence, and understand risks Know how to pay a ransom demand while avoiding common pitfalls Reduce risks of data loss and reinfection Build a stronger, holistic cybersecurity program that reduces your risk of getting hacked This guide offers immediate value to everyone involved in prevention, response, planning, or policy: CIOs, CISOs, incident responders, investigators, negotiators, executives, legislators, regulators, law enforcement professionals, and others. Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.
Avoid becoming the next ransomware victim by taking practical steps today Colonial Pipeline. CWT Global. Brenntag. Travelex. The list of ransomware victims is long, distinguished, and sophisticated. And it's growing longer every day. In Ransomware Protection Playbook, computer security veteran and expert penetration tester Roger A. Grimes delivers an actionable blueprint for organizations seeking a robust defense against one of the most insidious and destructive IT threats currently in the wild. You'll learn about concrete steps you can take now to protect yourself or your organization from ransomware attacks. In addition to walking you through the necessary technical preventative measures, this critical book will show you how to: Quickly detect an attack, limit the damage, and decide whether to pay the ransom Implement a pre-set game plan in the event of a game-changing security breach to help limit the reputational and financial damage Lay down a secure foundation of cybersecurity insurance and legal protection to mitigate the disruption to your life and business A must-read for cyber and information security professionals, privacy leaders, risk managers, and CTOs, Ransomware Protection Playbook is an irreplaceable and timely resource for anyone concerned about the security of their, or their organization's, data.
