In a twist to the newest ransomware tactic where data is stolen and then encrypted, the folks behind Nemty are going to use a blog to publish victims data if they don’t pay.
As organizations get better at recovering from a ransomware attack, the attack itself is less impactful. So, ransomware creators have figured out how to step up their game – extortion. Since they have gained access to your data – usually just to hold it for ransom – why not first exfiltrate some or all of it, and use that additional factor as motivation to get victim organizations to pay the ransom?
While a new tactic, the idea of publicizing sensitive data isn’t new. Netmy’s idea of hosting a blog somehow seems a bit simple, yet novel. The use of a blog would add credibility to their claim of being willing to post the data (prospective victims can simply navigate to it to see previous victim’s data).
So, as if the disruption of a ransomware attack wasn’t enough, now the threat includes you needing to worry about the impact a release of your sensitive data would have.
It seems that cybercriminals will never accept defeat, and will continue to look for ways to ensure you will be willing to part with your money.
Putting security controls in place to monitor email and web content for malicious links and attachments is a necessary first step. But, as these crafty coders continue to find ways to ensure delivery of ransomware to a user’s desktop, it’s imperative that Security Awareness Training be a central part of your security strategy. Users that undergo this training are more likely to be suspicious of unsolicited content they interact with and less likely to click on malicious content in emails and on the web.
