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Friday, March 29, 2024

They Come in the Night: Ransomware Deployment Trends

Ransomware is a remote, digital shakedown. It is disruptive and expensive, and it affects all kinds of organizations, from cutting edge space technology firms, to the wool industry, to industrial environments. Infections have forced hospitals to turn away patients and law enforcement to drop cases against drug dealers. Ransomware operators have recently begun combining encryption with the threat of data leak and exposure in order to increase leverage against victims. There may be a silver lining, however; Mandiant Intelligence research suggests that focusing defensive efforts in key areas and acting quickly may allow organizations to stop ransomware before it is deployed.

Mandiant Intelligence examined dozens of ransomware incident response investigations from 2017 to 2019. Through this research, we identified a number of common characteristics in initial intrusion vectors, dwell time, and time of day of ransomware deployment. We also noted threat actor innovations in tactics to maximize profits (Figure 1). Incidents affected organizations across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East in nearly every sector category, including financial services, chemicals and materials, legal and professional services, local government, and healthcare. We observed intrusions attributed to financially motivated groups such as FIN6, TEMP.MixMaster, and dozens of additional activity sets.

Read more at FireEye

They Come in the Night: Ransomware Deployment Trends Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Today
The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.
Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Todayhttp://www.hstoday.us
The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.

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