Recently, a cybercriminal group has been executing ransomware attacks against a mass number of people and entities. Mass ransomware is a targeted attack against a large group either simultaneously or over time.
“In all, Clop — the ransomware gang responsible for the attack, whose name is sometimes stylized as Cl0p — claims that it has hit 130 victims by exploiting a previously unknown “zero-day” vulnerability in a popular file-transfer software.” (Washington Post).
Victims are continuing to come forward as recipients of the ransomware attack. Many industries were impacted by this particular attack.
“Healthcare giant Community Health Systems, one of the largest healthcare providers in the United States, was first to confirm that it was one of the 130 alleged companies fallen victim to the hack, saying at least 1 million patients had their health information stolen from its affected GoAnywhere system. Digital finance giant Hatch Bank was next to confirm a breach linked to the GoAnywhere bug, then cybersecurity giant Rubrik. The list continues to grow.” (Tech Crunch).
Mass ransomware attacks have been gaining momentum and increasing in frequency and impact. Companies and government entities need to take action to prevent similar attacks from occurring.
“It’s the second mass ransomware attack this year already, as ransomware gangs explore different approaches following a year of fewer reported attacks and fewer victims willing to pay the hackers to unlock their systems and/or keep stolen data private.” (Washington Post).
Measures are being taken by the U.S government to prevent this from happening again.
“The U.S. government is increasingly prioritizing disruptive operations in response to ransomware gangs and other cybercriminals, focusing on actions like taking down cybercrime forums or recovering ransomware payments that victims make to the gangs.” (Washington Post).
In the meantime, companies and individuals can prevent ransomware attacks by keeping their software up to date and training employees in cyber hygiene.
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Sources:
Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/27/latest-mass-ransomware-attack-has-been-unfolding-nearly-two-months/
Tech Crunch. https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/22/fortra-goanywhere-ransomware-attack/
