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August 28, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Over the last couple of years ransomware has become the malware of choice for hackers around the world. It’s easy to understand why. Hackers using malware win in two different ways. If they successfully breach a corporation they can steal copies of important files and sell them on the black market. They can simultaneously demand […]
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August 25, 2021 by Vertical Axion
A NAS manufacturer based in Taiwan called Synology recently issued a warning to its customers relating to the StealthWorker botnet. This botnet has been targeting a wide range of NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices using simple brute force tactics. Anytime the botnet succeeds in breaching the security of a NAS it will deploy a ransomware […]
August 24, 2021 by Vertical Axion
If you’re worried about ransomware attacks know that help is on the way. The CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency) has announced a partnership with some of the biggest names in tech. The specific purpose of this collaborative effort called the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative is to put an end to ransomware and other serious […]
August 23, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Retailers, hospitals and financial institutions tend to be the targets of choice for the hackers of the world. Of course they’re not the only targets. The simple truth is that any company can find itself in the cross hairs of a hacker. The most recent victim is Taiwanese motherboard manufacturer Gigabyte. In addition to shutting […]
July 21, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Government officials and some internet security researchers have been saying for quite some time now that the nation’s (and the world’s) core infrastructure is at risk. Some examples include the flow of water into cities, the flow of electricity, and the traffic lights that keep city streets relatively organized. All of these depend on the […]
June 25, 2021 by Vertical Axion
According to an alert recently issued by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, colleges and universities worldwide are at increased risk of being targeted by a ransomware attack like the one that recently hit Colonial Pipeline and global meat supplier JBS. While ransomware attacks are certainly nothing new, they have been enjoying a surge of […]
June 19, 2021 by Vertical Axion
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recently issued a warning to all companies running VMware Vcenter Server and VMware Cloud Foundation. They are asking them to download and apply the latest security patches as soon as possible because attackers are actively hunting for vulnerable servers. On May 25th, VMware released a patch that corrected […]
June 12, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Bose is the latest in an unending parade of major companies to disclose that they’ve been the victim of a ransomware attack. In the company’s breach notification letter, they indicated that they first detected the incursion on March 7th, 2021, with the attack itself having occurred on April 29th. Additionally, as is quite common in […]
June 10, 2021 by Vertical Axion
If you’re involved with internet security on any level, then you’re probably already familiar with the name Phorpiex. The malicious botnet has been around for years, and the people who control it have taken steps to keep it relevant. They’re finding new ways to deliver ransomware and other threats, and sometimes, by moving in the […]
April 9, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Taiwanese tech giant Acer is the latest company to fall victim to relentless hackers. What makes the Acer breach especially noteworthy is the fact that the group behind the attack is demanding a fifty-million-dollar ransom, which is the highest figure any group has ever demanded. The only thing that even comes close was another REvil […]
March 27, 2021 by Vertical Axion
In terms of ransoms paid, Ryuk is the most successful strain of ransomware in use today, having netted an estimated $150 million for the group behind the malicious code. According to a recent report published by France’s national cybersecurity agency, it just got even more dangerous. Ryuk has historically been used preferentially against hospitals and […]
March 26, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Recently, researchers have discovered two new ransomware strains, dubbed “AlumniLocker” and “Humble”, both of which have very different ways of doing what they do. This highlights the ongoing development and diversification of the larger ransomware threat and underscores the fact that it will be a major cause for concern in the years ahead. Both new […]
March 17, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Microsoft has been busy of late, making a raft of improvements to their email system that are designed to enhance user security. Not long ago, they added a fantastically useful feature called ‘Plus Addressing’ which allows Office 365 users to make use of an unlimited number of disposable recipient email addresses and track email sources. […]
March 15, 2021 by Vertical Axion
A few months ago, it became widely known that there was a critical security vulnerability in Accellion FTA servers. Naturally, hackers wasted no time exploiting the vulnerability, and since then, we’ve seen a few instances of high-profile data breaches traced back to that very vulnerability. Flagstar bank is the latest such victim. Recently, the company […]
March 12, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Strange things are afoot at Kia Motors America (KMA), a subsidiary of Kia Motors with more than 800 dealerships scattered across the United States. Recently the company has reported a nationwide IT outage that is impacting their mobile UVO Link apps, phone services, the company’s payment system, and a number of dealer-specific applications. If you’re […]
February 12, 2021 by Vertical Axion
The year 2017 was an eternity ago in internet time, but back in those ancient days, there was one name in the ransomware world that sent tremors of terror down everyone’s spine. That word was Cerber. As one of the first bits of malicious code to be utilized as “ransomware as a service,” it quickly […]
February 6, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Distributed Denial of Service Attacks (DDOS) have been used by hackers since the earliest days of the web. Get enough internet-connected devices to ping a server at the same time, and you can knock the server offline. Keep the pressure on and you can keep it offline, pretty much indefinitely. These days, given the web’s […]
January 30, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Ransomware attacks are one of the most prevalent cyber attacks on healthcare. It has been around for many years, however, it became a trend in 2016. Recently, there is a significant increase in the frequency and types of ransomware attacks being perpetrated. Since 2019, even before Covid-19, healthcare providers became the primary target of ransomware […]
January 21, 2021 by Vertical Axion
At CES 2021, arguably the most influential and significant tech event in the world, Intel made an important announcement regarding its historic eleventh generation of chips. The latest designs will feature hardware-based ransomware detection protocols, which should serve to make those types of attacks less likely to succeed. In 2020, ransomware became the attack vector […]
January 14, 2021 by Vertical Axion
Hackers around the world didn’t waste any time. New Year’s celebrations have barely ended, and already, we have our first reports of a new malware strain to help ring in 2021. Dubbed Babuk Locker, the strain is aimed squarely at corporate networks. Based on an analysis of the code, security experts have concluded that the […]
December 22, 2020 by Vertical Axion
With the pandemic still raging, many schools around the world are still shuttered as tens of millions of school age children take to learning from home via remote or distance learning technologies. It is by no means a perfect substitute for in person learning but right now at least, it’s the only viable option available. […]
December 11, 2020 by Vertical Axion
A new ransomware strain burst onto the scene in September of this year (2020). Dubbed ‘Egregor’ by the research team at Digital Shadows who discovered it, it has already claimed more than seventy victims in nineteen countries around the world. Worse, the hackers controlling it appear to just be getting started. The malware is expertly […]
December 3, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Hackers have increasingly gravitated to ransomware attacks in 2020, as being one of the best and most reliable paths to a payday. That brings to mind an interesting question though. Naturally, the viability of this type of attack comes down to what percentage of victims are willing to actually pay the ransom, and what is […]
November 18, 2020 by Vertical Axion
Do you sell goods and services directly from your company’s website? Do you use X-Cart to do it? If you answered yes to both of those questions, you may have had some issues with your sales platform. Thankfully, the issues now seem to have been resolved, but according to the software vendor that makes X-Cart, […]
