Page 140 - Cyber Defense eMagazine October 2023

What is the target for ransomware holders?

As the name ransomware suggests they are after ransom. They will block your data in your own server
and prevent it from being used. This halts business and businesses lose critical time as well as billions
of dollars’ worth of business. Hence the question of ransomware and its significance is discussed in
detail.

1. Extortion and data kidnapping

Firms operating on data mostly find it crucial to have deliveries on time. This is also the most potential
area wherein attacks are mostly planned. These are situations wherein even a 1-hour delay in uplink can
cause financial disruptions of billions. To cope with this, some businesses found solutions wherein
deployment of a payload was never necessary.

Examples of such attacks can be found online with attacks of LAPSU on Uber, Microsoft, Rockstar
Games, and Nvidia. As more and more people find options to gain profits from these situations,
cybersecurity leaders need to be more and more prepared to face upcoming challenges.

2. Ransomwares sell your data to the highest bidder.

Stealing or withholding data is the norm of the day for ransomware holders. While it may seem like stolen
data is only valuable to its rightful owner, given the kind of data held for ransom, it may be of great value
to its adversaries.

A single breach can be catastrophic, with the data landing in the hands of cybercriminals, who can then
sell it to more dangerous criminals.

3. Cloud is the new target.

More organizations are loading their documents into the cloud. This makes it easier for invaders to plan
their outbreaks well-organized. One small miscalculation and misconfiguration can lead to a group of
ransomwares getting a foothold on data.

One statistic by the Google Cybersecurity team found that cryptocurrency mining is the reason behind
86% of compromised cloud instances.

4. No platform is safe.

Cybersecurity leaders have the idea that no attack path should be overlooked when there are odds that
any breach can be shattering. Here come the uncommon platforms that can pose a higher risk to your
firm as the ransomware attackers recognize the worth of business devices which don't have backups.

5. AI may fail to detect such attacks.

Currently, even the opponents are focusing on time and money-saving mechanization. The ransomware
attackers use a scaling technique to increase their income by automating tasks and restricting human
faults.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – October 2023 Edition 140
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