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‘Professional’ ransomware gang targets 1,800 large organizations worldwide, Dutch investigators find

Written by Stu Sjouwerman | Nov 30, 2019 5:40:01 PM

Filip Truta at Bitdefender blogged: "A confidential report from the Netherlands’ National Cyber ​​Security Center warns that ransomware operators are targeting at least 1,800 large organizations worldwide in industries such as construction, chemical, healthcare, food, entertainment and critical infrastructure (energy, water, utilities).

"The report says three ransomware strains are used in attacks worldwide, including many targeting the Netherlands. Those are LockerGoga, MegaCortex and Ryuk, which have gained notoriety over the past year in attacks on large infrastructures with high annual turnover rates.

"The NCSC said it has only identified 1,800 victims, but the actual number of targeted organizations could be much higher.

“Dutch branches of multinationals have also been hit, including those of an American chemical company. Moreover, that company is an important supplier of critical infrastructure in the Netherlands. This includes, among other things, drinking water, internet access and energy,” according to Dutch television channel NOS, which obtained a copy of the NCSC report." Source: Bitdefender.