The malware and the ransomware continue to be the biggest threats in cyberspace.
Two separate reports from experts on cybersecurity topics, Kaspersky and Sophos, revealed that malware and ransomware continue to be significant threats in cyberspace in the manufacturing and business landscape.
On one hand, the Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence team presented a new study that reveals that ransomware has been the most widespread Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) over the past seven years. Based on research conducted on 97 families of malicious software distributed on the dark web and other resources, the researchers found that cybercriminals often hire infostealers, botnets, loaders and backdoors to carry out their attacks.
On the other hand, Sophos’ “The State of Ransomware in Manufacturing and Production 2023” report found that more than two-thirds (68%) of ransomware attacks against the industrial sector had succeeded in encrypting data. This is the highest reported encryption rate for the sector in the last three years and is consistent with a broader trend across all sectors where attackers have become increasingly successful at encrypting data.
Malware and ransomware attacks are particularly lucrative for cybercriminals. Ransomware, in particular, allows attackers to extort money from victims ranging from a few hundred dollars to millions paid in cryptocurrencyby encrypting their files and demanding a ransom in exchange for the decryption key. The potential financial gains provide an incentive for cybercriminals to continue developing these threats.
One example is Infostealer, whose services are paid via a subscription model. Their prices range between 100 and 300 US dollars per month. For instance, Raccoon Stealer, which was discontinued in early February 2023, could be obtained for 275 USD monthly or 150 USD weekly. Its competitor, RedLine, has a monthly price of 150 USD, according to information published on the Darknet by its operators. Attackers also make use of additional services for an extra fee.
Malicious software as a service (MaaS) and ransomware can easily spread through various channels, such as malicious email attachments, infected websites or compromised software. However, MaaS is an illegal business model that includes the rental of software for carrying out cyber attacks.
Usually, customers of these services are offered a personal account through which they can monitor the attack and receive technical support. This reduces the initial knowledge threshold required by aspiring cybercriminals. Cybercriminals continuously evolve their tactics to bypass security measures.
They use sophisticated techniques, such as polymorphic malware (which changes its code to evade detection), zero-day exploits (which exploit unknown vulnerabilities), and botnets (networks of compromised computers) to launch large-scale attacks. These ever-changing methods make it difficult to monitor security measures.
Malware and ransomware often exploit vulnerabilities in software, operating systems, or human behavior. Cybercriminals target outdated or outdated systems, known vulnerabilities , or human error, such as clicking on malicious links or downloading infected files. As long as there are vulnerabilities to exploit, these threats will persist.
The internet allows malware and ransomware attacks that cross geographic boundaries, reaching victims worldwide. Cybercriminals can launch attacks from any location, making it difficult for law enforcement to locate and apprehend them. This global reach enables threats to spread quickly and affect a large number of individuals, organizations, and critical infrastructure.
In addition to ransom payments, cybercriminals exploit malware and ransomware in a variety of ways: they can sell stolen data on the dark web, use compromised systems for distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, engage in cryptocurrency mining using stolen resources, or engage in identity theft and financial fraud. These avenues provide alternative sources of revenue, thus keeping cybercriminals’ businesses profitable.
Source: malaya.com.ph
