The Australian Cyber Security Center (ACSC) strongly advises against paying ransoms of any amount to cybercriminals. In some circumstances, these payments could even be illegal. The Australian government is tightening its cybersecurity regulations to align with the United State's new stance on nation-state threats. As a result, there have been significant changes to how Australian businesses are expected to respond to cyberattacks.

Cybercriminals use ransomware to block organizations from accessing their critical business data to extort ransoms. Data encryption protects data wherever it resides. The encrypted data becomes obsolete as encryption makes it difficult for the ransomware to detect it and attack. A good data backup & restoration strategy and a DRM solution are the key factors when companies want to respond to ransomware attacks. These allow companies to restore the data encrypted during the attack.

Phishing schemes are always evolving. This past year, email thread hijacking took phishing to new depths of subterfuge as criminals hid in plain sight within existing conversations. But no matter how well cybercriminals have refined their messaging or counterfeited legitimate logos and branding, the one constant has always been their delivery method: email. Until now. Online chat services have become a new target for cybercriminals to introduce documents loaded with malware into organizations.

AT&T Alien Labs recently analyzed the Linux version of the Darkside ransomware, one of the most active ransomware in the last quarter. Shortly after hitting Colonial Pipeline, Darkside developers announced they would be closing operations.

The recent ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline is reportedly one of the most significant cyberattacks on the energy sector till date, and it has overwhelmed cybersecurity experts across the globe.

Ransomware prevention measures such as securing your applications can help you avoid becoming the next target. Ransomware isn’t a new problem—not even close. It’s been around for more than 30 years. But like every element of technology, it has evolved. Instead of being an occasional expensive nuisance, it’s now a plague with existential implications for critical infrastructure—energy, transportation, food supply, water and sewer services, healthcare, and more.

AT&T Alien Labs has observed the Mirai variant botnet, known as Moobot, scanning for known but uncommon vulnerabilities in Tenda routers, resulting in a considerable peak in our internal telemetry. The research associated with this peak resulted in the discovery of a malware hosting domain, providing several different Mirai variants, like Moobot and Satori.

The head of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has warned that ransomware has become the biggest threat to British people and businesses. In a speech being given today by Lindy Cameron, chief executive of the NCSC, to the RUSI think tank, she highlights the need for ransomware problem to be taken seriously, and warns of the “cumulative effect” if society fails to properly deal with the rising threat.