Ransomware threats remain at peak levels with no evidence of slowing down globally with new variants enabled by Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS).

Ransomware is not a new phenomenon, but the scale of attacks has accelerated both in sophistication and frequency.

Geopolitical uncertainty, rapid Internet of Things (IoT) adoption, and accelerated digitalisation will continue to fuel cyberattacks in the years to come.  

The free tool helps victims encrypted by MegaCortex ransomware restore their files and recover following a successful attack.

Analysis from NCC Group’s Global Threat Intelligence team credits the increase to returning threat actor groups resurfacing and taking the lead in November.

"As cybercrime converges with advanced persistent threat methods, cybercriminals are finding ways to weaponise new technologies at scale to enable more disruption and destruction."

Zscaler's annual ThreatLabz Ransomware Report reveals the healthcare and restaurant and food service industries had the biggest jumps in ransomware attacks.

Ransomware as a service is a major threat to all cybersecurity data and systems. Similar to software as a service, RaaS provides easy subscription-based access to ransomware to those with little-to-no programming expertise.

Darktrace has announced that one of its customers successfully interrupted a Babuk ransomware attack with its Autonomous Response technology, Antigena.

2021 saw threat actors turn the dial up on ransomware, with several high-profile attacks against major corporations and critical infrastructure.

Just when we all thought COVID-19 couldn’t possibly make the cyber risk environment any worse, 2021 brought us a supply chain shock induced by the global pandemic.

Critical to every organisation is how to stop a cyber-security breach AND the damage it causes and do so within available budgets.

While vulnerability disclosures increased 21% in the second half of 2021 and increasingly sophisticated criminal attacks made regular news, organisations fight back with targeted remediation efforts.

It is anticipated that the solution will help drive post-pandemic economic growth by making it easier for start-ups and entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into business reality.

The gravitational force of ransomware's black hole is pulling in other cyberthreats to form one massive, interconnected ransomware delivery system with significant implications for IT security.

Given the lucrative activity of RaaS we are likely to see them reappear in the near future. The battle against ransomware is far from over.

Speaking about the two ransomware types, Sophos says it's not a simple case of rebranding.

Organisations that are heavily or entirely reliant on Microsoft infrastructure, services and applications can take several steps to shore up their security.

In this case study, Darktrace explains how it detected the first signs of ransomware on the network 'as soon as encryption had begun'.

Attacks are driven largely by the emergence of Ransomware as a Service gangs that are cashing in on critical infrastructure organisations. 

"This trend of ransomware-as-a-service is continuing to evolve and cybersecurity providers need to stay ahead of the risk."

McAfee has released its latest cybersecurity report analysing cybercriminal activity related to malware and cyber threats in the first quarter of 2021. 

New ransomware Epsilon Red has been found by Sophos researchers who detail the tools, techniques, procedures, and behaviour of the attackers behind it.

Accenture’s latest research defined four key risks: Supply chain attacks, cyber-fraud, insider threats and extortion and ransomware.