Ransomware

International law enforcement disrupts notorious cybercrime gang Lockbit, known for ransomware attacks, as a collaborative effort by the US, UK, and Europol unfolds, aiming to curb its global activities and exposing its affiliation with major data breaches.

"No single country or organization can combat cyber threats alone; we need to think by rising above conventional geographic borders and it requires a united front," said Union Minister Amit Shah while taking part in the inaugural session G-20 Conference on Crime and Security in the Age of NFTs, AI and the Metaverse

The Indian cyber security agency has issued a warning against Royal ransomware virus that attacks critical sectors like communications, healthcare, education and even individuals and seeks pay-off in Bitcoins for not leaking personal data in the public domain.
 

The Police also said that the ransomware's genesis is unknown, but it is of foreign origin. The police also said that the hackers are expected to be from China or North Korea, most likely.

"An attempted ransomware assault on SpiceJet systems last night delayed and hindered early flight departures today. Our IT staff has contained and resolved the issue, and flights are currently running regularly," it stated.

According to VMWare's head of cybersecurity strategy, Tom Kellermann, law enforcement and intelligence officials blocked the gang from targeting other firms.

Cyber protection company Acronis has warned that 2021 will bring aggressive cybercrime activity as criminals pivot their attacks from data encryption to data exfiltration. In its Acronis Cyberthreats Report 2020, the firm has noted the growing trend of cybercriminals trying to maximize their financial gain. Here are 5 key observations in the report

The dust on WannaCry has barely settled and a new threat has surfaced in the form of Fireball malware. Check Point reveals that Fireball is capable of hijacking browsers and changing the default search engine to track web traffic on behalf of Rafotech, a Beijing-based digital marketing company.

EternalRocks, a new strain of malware, has been identified by the researchers that targets the same vulnerability that wrecked havoc worldwide by WannaCry ransomware, a media report said. The researcher who found EternalRocks does not claim that it has spread very far yet, but its just one example of a wave of new malware based on the NSA-authored exploits. The consequences have already been serious, and they could get worse.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) too faced the brunt of Wannacry ransom ware. The Palike had to declare unofficial leave for its employees till it fixed the virus, it is said.