Facing a ransomware attack is every company’s worst nightmare. The dilemma following data encryption and ransom demand is agonizing: Do you give in to the attackers’ demands and pay, hoping to regain access to your critical data? Or do you refuse, potentially facing permanent data loss, operational downtime, and potentially crippling financial losses? Both options…

Remember when hacktivism felt like a rebellious punk rock anthem raging against the affluent corporate machine? Hacktivists flitted through cyberspace as digital Robin Hoods fueled by righteous indignation or online warriors with a penchant for mischief. Those days are about as ancient as dial-up internet. Today, the cybercrime scene is a cutthroat business. A new…

Extortion is about leverage. The greater the leverage, the greater the propensity of the victim to open their coffers and pay the ransom. Initially, ransomware attacks focused on blocking access to an organization’s critical data by encrypting it. This simple yet effective model had a key weakness: a robust backup system could restore the encrypted…

The manufacturing industry has found itself on the front lines of a relentless and escalating battle against ransomware attacks in recent years. These malicious threats are being launched at manufacturers of all sizes, and attacks no longer stop with data encryption. While causing downtime through operational and manufacturing disruption remains the most impactful way for…

Educational institutions are facing a crisis. Over a short period of time, K-12 schools and universities became heavily reliant on technology. From online classes to managing student records, digitization is being embraced to enhance learning experiences and increase administrative efficiency. However, digital transformation comes at a cost – exposing these organizations to cyber threats. From an…

For a CEO, CISO, or a security professional, nothing instigates a wave of panic like receiving a dreaded message such as “Your files have been encrypted” with a link that reveals a ransom demand. However, sometimes what is most feared – the ransom demand – is not the financial punch that hurts the most. Often,…