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Ransomware attacks still on the rise

Ransomware attacks are still on the rise, and we all have every reason to be very worried about the increasing trends we’re seeing.

According to at least one piece of recent research, 2018 has already seen double the rate of ransomware attacks so far, but what’s equally as concerning is that the attacks are changing tact to go for bigger targets to demand higher ransoms, and the hackers are enjoying success.

It’s a sign of the times, and we all need to be very careful to make sure we protect ourselves from the growing risks of ransomware attacks.

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Booking.com WhatsApp and text fraud a criminal show of force

The recent Booking.com WhatsApp and text fraud operation showed precisely what criminals can do with enough data at their disposal.

According to the media reports in the aftermath of the Booking.com WhatsApp and text issue, criminals were looking to reap hundreds of thousands of pounds in ill-gotten gains by duping people into thinking they were Booking.com by using personalised messages that were said to have looked genuine, and included personal data.

Some people reportedly fell for the scam and lost money as a result, and we understand that Booking.com has committed to compensating victims.

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Last year’s WannaCry attack was a lucky escape for the NHS

Last year’s WannaCry attack was a lucky escape, and the government is quite rightfully being urged to learn lessons from the encounter. We are almost a year on from the day that saw around one-third of all NHS Trusts in England disrupted by the malware attack that specifically targeted older (and therefore weaker) systems and servers.

The attack saw hundreds of other NHS organisations – including almost 600 GPs – infected during the attack, and some 20,000 hospital appointments and operations were cancelled.

Ultimately, the WannaCry attack was simple malware that still managed to cripple the NHS. It was a lucky escape, and future attacks involving medical data could be far, far worse.
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711 million email addresses reportedly compromised by a Spambot called Onliner

A ‘spambot’ named Onliner has reportedly collected personal information tied to 711 million email addresses and dumped them on a server.

The spambot was designed to infect devices, spreading malicious software that could steal valuable personal information, as well as discharge viruses and spam/junk emails. Spam emails are not only a nuisance but they often carry phishing software; enticing users to click on seemingly harmless links that hide further malware. From there, cybercriminals can trick users into revealing more information, and sometimes bank details directly, as well as taking control of computers.
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U.S hotel malware may have compromised guests’ credit card data

A four-star hotel in the U.S. has discovered a data breach that may have compromised an undisclosed number of guests’ credit card information.

The Galt House Hotel, located in the state of Kentucky, discovered malicious software stealing information from a “payment card processing system” where credit card information is stored for payment purposes.

An internal investigation discovered the malware, and it’s believed that guests who used their credit cards to pay for visits between 21^st December 2016 and 11^th April 2017 may be affected.
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Avanti self-service food vending kiosks hacked

U.S. payment kiosk vendor, Avanti Markets, recently fell victim to a malware scam. The U.S. kiosk vendor’s innovation is to take away counter services and replace them with an all-serving vending machine that covers whole sandwiches, fruit, drinks and junk food with one payment system.
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Millions of WhatsApp and Telegram users exposed to ransom hacks

WhatsApp and Telegram are the latest victims to third party data hacking which saw millions of users vulnerable to having their accounts taken over and held to ransom.

Hackers utilised a weakness in images being sent through the messaging apps to hide malware that could eventually take over accounts.

Once again – no one is safe!!!
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GoldenEye malware – the “new ransomware” security threat!

Malware and ransomware has been on a sharp rise in recent years, with security researchers saying that cyberthieves are adopting them in “alarming” numbers.

The rise in these types of cyber-attacks are usually money driven.

Malware is a software that’s installed covertly onto the user’s computers and disrupts the system to allows the cyber-hacker unauthorised access to it.

There’s a ‘new’ malware on the horizon… and it’s not from an unknown territory.
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The largest cybercriminal network this decade, Avalanche, has now been dismantled

After eight years of its existence, Avalanche Botnet has now been dismantled in a 4-year-long international operation.

On 30 November, German prosecutors and police – working hand in hand with the Department of Justice and the FBI in the U.S., the EU’s law enforcement agency and other global partners – managed to disembody the international criminal network involved in phishing attacks, bank fraud, and ransomware for years around the world.
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“Ransomware demands drop” – More and more cyber-attackers are demanding less; in a bid to victimise more

Cyber-hacks are becoming more and more sophisticated, and nowadays some cyber-hackers are demanding less from their victims to pay up.

Sometimes, people may feel there is no other way than paying up the ransom to gain access to your computer again. But as with most “products” or “services” there is usually a marginal propensity to pay – which is basically the willingness of someone to pay a price.

Would you pay £100 for a bottle of 2 litre milk? Probably not. Would you pay a pound for it? I’m sure you would.

Well, the hackers are employing the same tactic to make sure it’s cheap enough for people to pay as opposed to calling the police…
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