| Threat Watch Alert Havoc Shield has identified a recent security trend that we wanted to bring to your attention. Refer below for more information regarding rising ransomware attacks to companies like yours. Security Threat: In May 2023, businesses experienced the highest-ever attacks leading to the most reports of ransomware. Successful attacks rates rose by 154%, and unreported attacks rose by 489% What is a Ransomware Attack? In a ransomware attack, the malicious attacker will gain data belonging to your company and ask for a ransom in order for your company's data to be returned. This data can come from your production environment and cripple your business should you choose not to pay the ransom. In May 2023, healthcare and technology companies' targeting increased by 81% and 57%, with an average payout of $328,000. Can your company afford that? What to do now: Take advantage of the access to the cybersecurity tools you have access to via the Havoc Shield platform, and upgrade your company's cybersecurity program. Example of a Ransomware Attack: On May 14, 2023, the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper fell victim to a cybersecurity breach, and the data accessed was held at ransom. The details are as follows: The attack disrupted operations, with newspaper circulation halting while Inquirer.com was only slightly affected, with publishing and updating stories being impacted by intermittent delays. The threat actors. apparently, had access to an email and document storage system used by several News Corp businesses. This enabled them to compromise business documents and emails containing sensitive data, including employees' personal information. Threat actors began their attack by gaining access to an employee's email, and then everything crumbled from there. How can you fend off these attacks? The best way to defend against these attacks is to roll out a living cybersecurity program for your employees. Pushing emphasis on email security with tools like MailArmor and cybersecurity awareness training will help aid your employees with the resources they need to spot these attacks. Havoc Shield’s Response to High Ransomware Attacks: As a cybersecurity company, we are actively gauging our clients and market interest in new tools. With the high rate at which ransomware attacks are occurring, we are working on adding a Device Backup module as part of the Foundations program. This will allow you to roll out a backup agent to your users to backup information on employee devices. This would help your business recover more quickly if an attack were to happen. Recommended Action: Take action to create a cybersecurity program that trains your employees to recognize social engineering attempts through monthly cyber awareness training. |
