Question

Critical Thinking 2-5: Crypto-malware Attacks Use the Internet to research some of the recent different crypto-malware ransomware attacks. What do they do? Why are they so successful? How are they being spread? What can users do to protect themselves? Write a one-page summary of your research.

Answer 1

`Hey,

Note: Brother if you have any queries related the answer please do comment. I would be very happy to resolve all your queries.

Ransomware attacks are becoming more and more common, and it was easy to find examples of current attacks for this case project. The first example is below:

Congress, May 10th, 2016

Congress was warned recently about cybersecurity after an attempted ransomeware attack on the House. In this attack, the House technology service desk alerted everyone that attackers are focusing on highly specific email applications such as G-mail and YahooMail. When a user would click on attachments within emails, all of the files on the computer would be encrypted by the malware, making them unusable until a ransom is paid. Part of why this attack was successful was that the emails seem to come from known senders, making a user comfortable with opening an attachment.

http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/10/congress-warned-about-cybersecurity-after-attemptedransomware-attack-on-house/

United States and Canada, April 4, 2016
In a generic attack warning for both the United States and Canada, another potential ransomware has been cautioned by officials. In this article, multiple ideas to prevent attacks was listed. All of these would allow users to protect themselves. Whitelisting an application is also a way to remove malware from a computer.
● Back up your data, preferably on a separate device, and store it offline. That will keep your data safe not just from extortionists but also from natural disasters, such as floods and fires. ● Use application whitelisting to help prevent malicious software and unapproved programs from running. ● Keep your operating system and software up-to-date with the latest patches. Most attacks target vulnerable applications and operating systems. ● Maintain up-to-date anti-virus software, and scan all software downloaded from the internet prior to executing.

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2016/04/04/ransomware-alert-issued-by-us-and-canadafollowing-recent-attacks/

Michigan Board of Water and Light, May 5th, 2016
A final example of ransomware attack came from the Michigan Board of Water and Light company. They announced on Twitter that they were targeted by phishing viruses, but were happy to say the problems did not compromise their privacy information or their ability to get their consumers water and light. A Security Specialist cautioned though, that “the potential damage of ransomware is huge. If the right files are encrypted then in theory anything could be ground to a halt. With the right levels of segregation and the correct backup and disaster recovery in place there's no reason it can't be either avoided or quickly recovered.”

http://www.scmagazineuk.com/michigan-electrical-utility-company-hit-with-ransomwareattack/article/494457/

Kindly revert for any queries

Thanks.