Ransomware and Cyber-Espionage Attacks Continuously Rising

According to one Data Breach Investigations Report for 2017 by Verizon, there are an increasing number of ransomware and cyber-espionage assaults in the wild. Today, cyber- espionage accounts for the maximum number of assaults within the education, manufacturing and government sectors. Maximally the reason is excessive propagation of secret personal data, prototypes and propriety research, all three extremely vital items favoring cyber-criminals.

Verizon reports that ransomware increased in the double within merely one year. The company's report follows from an assessment of 79,000 instances related to cyber security along with 1,945 sure cases of data hacks within 79 countries.

Ransomware attacks, finds Verizon, as well became very popular while increased with an enormous margin. Three years back (2014), among the most common malicious software, ransomware ranked No.22. Two years hence its commonality rank is No.5. Of all sectors, healthcare bears the greater danger of ransomware, with 72% of the total malicious software attacks aimed at this sector. Betanews.com posted this, May 1, 2017.

Within the 2017 report of Verizon, the data hacks analyzed were almost 2,000 while over 300 were based on espionage, a lot many using phishing electronic mails.

Moreover, well-organized criminal gangs employed more and more of ransomware attacks for earning money by extorting their victims. Unfortunately, in spite of this rise as well as the associated news in media concerning ransomware's utilization, a lot of companies continue to use obsolete security solutions while forgoing investment in modern security means. Quintessentially, they opt for paying to the demanders of ransoms instead of spending the money for security services which could've helped
deter a cyber assault. And while well-organized criminal gangs carried out 51% of the total hacks, state-sponsored syndicates carried out 18%.

Executive Director Bryan Sartin for Global Security Services at Verizon Enterprise Solutions says cyber assaults exploiting human traits continue to be a major factor. According to him, cyber-crooks focus on 4 main aspects that drive human attitude so people can be induced to reveal their information. These are distraction, eagerness, uncertainty and inquisitiveness. This year, the new report involves an analysis based on enormous rise in pre-texting and phishing.

» SPAMfighter News - 5/4/2017