WOBURN, MA – November 28, 2017 — /BackupReview.info/ — In 2017, 26.2 percent of ransomware targets were business users, compared to 22.6 percent in 2016. This is due in part to three unprecedented ransomware attacks targeting corporate networks that forever changed the landscape of this increasingly virulent threat, which Kaspersky Lab has named its key topic for 2017.
The year 2017 will be remembered as a time when the ransomware threat suddenly evolved with advanced threat actors targeting businesses worldwide, using a series of destructive worm-powered attacks whose ultimate goal remains a mystery. These attacks included WannaCry on May 12, ExPetron June 27 and BadRabbit in late October, which all used exploits designed to compromise corporate networks. Businesses were also targeted by other ransomware and Kaspersky Lab prevented ransomware infections on over 240,000 corporate users overall.
“The headline attacks of 2017 are an extreme example of the growing criminal interest in corporate targets. We spotted this trend in 2016, it has accelerated throughout 2017 and shows no signs of slowing down,” said Fedor Sinitsyn, senior malware analyst, Kaspersky Lab. “Business victims are remarkably vulnerable, can be charged a higher ransom than individuals and are often willing to pay up in order to keep the business operating. New business-focused infection vectors, such as through remote desktop systems, are not surprisingly also on the rise.”
To combat against the increasing threat, the No More Ransom initiative, launched in July 2016, continues to thrive. The project brings together law enforcement and security vendors to track down and disrupt the big ransomware families, while helping individuals get their data back and undermining the criminals’ lucrative business model.
All Kaspersky Lab products protect users from ransomware. The company’s products also include System Watcher, technology that can block and roll back malicious changes made on a device, such as the encryption of files or blocked access to the monitor. Further, a free anti-ransomware tool is available for all businesses, regardless of which brand of security software they use.
In addition, Kaspersky Lab publishes regular threat intelligence overviews of the evolving ransomware landscape (an example can be found here — https://securelist.com/ksn-report-ransomware-in-2016-2017/78824/).
The full text of the Story of the Year 2017: Ransomware’s New Menace is available here — https://securelist.com/ksb-story-of-the-year-2017/83290/
The report forms part of the annual Kaspersky Security Bulletin. Other sections of the bulletin include the Threat Predictions for 2018 published on November 15, and the annual review and statistics, available in December.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company celebrating its 20 year anniversary in 2017. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into next generation security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com
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Media Contact
Sarah Kitsos
781.503.2615
sarah.kitsos@kaspersky.com
Source: Kaspersky Lab
Tags: Kaspersky, Kaspersky Lab
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