Week 11 - BSIT 220 - Ransomware

With talking about Network security I figured I would do some research on one of the most popular kinds of hacking attacks out there, Ransomware. This is a term a lot of us have heard in recent years with the number of attacks occurring. The most recent attack that I can recall happened in February 2022 at Nvidia where the company suffered a ransomware attack by the group Lapsus$ which gained access to 1 TB of company data. They then demanded $1 million and a fee from Nvidia. 

Ransomware is a type of malware that prevents users from accessing their systems or personal files and demands a ransom payment in order to gain access. Today ransomware authors order payment via cryptocurrency to cover their tracks. Some authors even sell their service to other cybercriminals which is known as Ransomware-as-a-Service.

They gain access through email spam, advertising, social engineering, and spear phishing. They gain access to the network and will encrypt data files, not allowing access until they have been paid. Some of the most common types are Scareware, Screen Lockers, Encrypting Ransomware, Mac Ransomware, and Mobile Ransomware.