The surge of ransomware attacks directed at businesses of all sizes across industries outlines the increasing risk that business owners face on a daily basis. By clicking the wrong link, employees can let loose a scourge of malware that encrypts company files followed by a hefty ransom demand from the bad actors that perpetrated the attack. This simply highlights the importance of active measures to prevent and thwart all types of cybersecurity threats which are ever-evolving.
Some business owners have taken it upon themselves to be proactive in the measures they implement to protect user data and other sensitive business information. One such way has been ensuring that employees don’t access suspicious sites or files that increase the chances of a successful ransomware attack. Through the use of technologies such as spy apps available for iPhone devices or other OS-specific preventative measures on company IT hardware, all activity can be monitored and appropriate measures can be taken to increase cybersecurity. Technology expert Lora Pance mentioned the importance of finding the perfect tool that is affordable but doesn’t compromise on key security features and also provides all the data needed for business decision-making.
With hacker groups such as Dark Angels expanding their reputation as one of the most dangerous attackers, businesses are looking into different means, including spy apps and more, to secure business data. The recent attack initiated by this group created a buzz because of the high ransom demanded. The Dark Angels attacked a Forbes 50 company by the name of Johnson Controls and demanded a staggering $75 million payout to release the data that they held hostage.
However, this crew is not new in this scene as they have wreaked havoc on numerous businesses over the years. Their target groups have spanned across a variety of corporations, healthcare organizations, and even government agencies. The brazen attitude of the Dark Angels has led to them being regarded as one of the most feared ransomware groups globally.
Prior to the attack on Johnson Controls, the Dark Angels crew had another high-paying ransomware attack to the tune of $40 million on CNA Financial Corp. The TTP of this crew is highly sophisticated social engineering attacks that leverage the human element which is the most common point of failure amongst businesses of all sizes. Upon gaining access to company systems, the Dark Angels deploy advanced encryption methods to make decryption and data recovery methods nearly impossible. The same modus operandi was deployed in their latest attack and subsequently led to Johnson Controls folding to this pressure.
It is a fact that such malicious attacks are bound to continue growing, especially with the Ransomware-as-a-Service model that is taking the cybercrime landscape by storm. The ease of deploying malicious software has become alarmingly pronounced and allows bad actors who don’t have the technical acumen to execute a sophisticated attack to pull off audacious stunts like this one. However, digital enterprises are adapting to this landscape, especially amongst crypto gambling sites and other platforms such as online marketplaces running on 4.0 blockchain technology that protects data, rendering ransomware attacks futile.
Although emerging technologies such as the blockchain are combating cybercrimes similar to the Dark Angels’, corporations that haven’t adapted yet that pay these ransoms are preempting severe consequences. By paying the ransom, this cybercrime is perpetuated, and the funds from successful attacks fund even more potentially sophisticated attacks in the future. Therefore, proactive measures such as backups, employee education, and adopting advanced security measures are very important for organizations to prevent these attacks from occurring.
