The Avos ransomware threat actor has recently updated its tooling, not only using malicious software but also commercial products. Image: Yingyaipumi/Adobe Stock A new report from Cisco Talos Intelligence Group exposes new tools used in Avos ransomware attacks. Who is Avos? Avos is a ransomware group active since July 2021. The group follows the Ransomware … Read more
Ransomware attacks cost US schools and colleges more than an estimated $3.5 billion in downtime alone last year, according to a study released Thursday. Researchers at Comparitech documented 67 individual ransomware attacks in 2021 that affected 954 schools and colleges and nearly 1 million students. While those figures may seem high, they all mark double-digit percentage … Read more
But the attack against the finance ministry was just the beginning. A timeline shared by Mora claims Conti attempted to breach different government organizations almost every day between April 18 and May 2. Local authorities, such as the Municipality of Buenos Aires, were targeted, as well as central government organizations, including the Ministry of Labor … Read more
A recent survey reveals many organizations close either temporarily or permanently after a ransomware attack. Learn more about how you can protect your business ransomware attacks. Image: jamdesign/Adobe Stock Must-read security coverage A third of organizations hit by ransomware were forced to close temporarily or permanently. Many ransomware victims also suffered employee layoffs and executive … Read more
Ransomware attacks, including those of the massively disruptive and dangerous variety, have proved difficult to combat comprehensively. Hospitals, government agencies, schools, and even critical infrastructure companies continue to face debilitating attacks and large ransom demands from hackers. But as governments around the world and law enforcement in the United States have grown serious about cracking … Read more
Smartphone manufacturing giant Foxconn has confirmed that a ransomware attack in late May disrupted operations at one of its Mexico-based production plants. “It is confirmed that one of our factories in Mexico experienced a ransomware cyberattack in late May,” Jimmy Huang, a Foxconn spokesperson told TechCrunch. “The company’s cybersecurity team has been carrying out the recovery … Read more
The Russia-based cybercriminal group known as Evil Corp has shifted to a ransomware-as-a-service model in an effort to skirt U.S. sanctions, according to research from cybersecurity firm Mandiant. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, sanctioned Evil Corp in December 2019, citing the group’s extensive development of Dridex malware, which the gang … Read more
Costa Rica’s public health service, known as the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), has been forced to take its systems offline after being hit by Hive ransomware. In a statement on Twitterthe CCSS said the attack started early on Tuesday morning and that an investigation was being conducted. It added that several payroll and pension … Read more
A ransomware gang that infiltrated some Costa Rican government computer systems has upped its threat, saying its goal is now to overthrow the government. Perhaps seizing on the fact that President Rodrigo Chaves had only been in office for a week, the Russian-speaking Conti gang tried to increase the pressure to pay a ransom by … Read more
70% of all malware breaches last year were ransomware. Image: nicescene/Adobe Stock The use of ransomware to extort money increased 13% in 2021 compared to 2020, according to the Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, now in its 15th year. That 13% represents a greater increase in the deployment of ransomware than the last five … Read more