Page 15 - Sophos - Ransomware Special Edition

ransomware continues

to plague uae with key Business

verticals bearing the brunt UaE MaRkETSCaPE

n the wake of the are not able to gain Effects of Ransomware then warned of a
COVID-19 pandemic, access to these patient attacks growing spike of such
IUAE has seen a information on time. Ransomware sophisticated attacks
sudden spike in the An ordinary company infections result in not only across GCC but
number of ransomware could try and get their business disruptions and around the globe. The
attacks and therefore it systems back up and have an adverse effect on security gaps created by a
has become a cause of running in a day or two company reputation. It largely remote workforce
great concern. but hospitals don’t have sometimes even becomes have compounded
Cyber criminals, that luxury. difficult to identify the the risk to businesses.
taking advantage of the But this is a threat root cause behind the In fact, among all the
pandemic for personal that has crippled the attack. This increasing threats in the first half of
gains have started nation for long. Last threat is taking down 2020, ransomware has
shifting their focus year, a Dubai based every organization, been a constant threat.
particularly targeting contracting firm has whether big or small. Although the number
of detected ransomware
people working from been left crippled after These are meticulously threats decreased, the
home and most being locked out of its planned attacks that are survey saw a 36 per
importantly hospitals. own computer systems being put in action to cent increase in new
A large number of by a hacker, who then erode the security, till it ransomware families
sensitive data are demanded $300 in breaks completely and compared to the same
getting stolen from bitcoins to get the then the entire network is last year.
these hospitals and only infected machines up hijacked by the attacker.
On the other hand,
on a payment of a good and running again. The a newly released report And thus…
sum of ransom are hacker infected their by a leading security Ransomware,
these attackers coming computers with the company reveals that from advanced to
to terms to release dreaded crypto virus, ransomware remains entry level is going to
these data. In many Dharma and left all a widespread threat in dominate the security
case, even after the their files encrypted. the UAE. For instance, landscape of 2021. It
release of the ransom Dharma ransomware is the country accounted is therefore becoming
money, cyber criminals one of the most widely for 2.4 million of the increasingly important
do not part away with spread ransomware 1.7 billion ransomware for organizations to pay
the full information infections around the attacks detected globally attention to ransomware
taken hostage. world. The Dharma (. in Q1 of 2018. In the threats and take
It’s important that cezar family) decryptor pandemic era, the same protective measures.
hospitals have access has a complicated report states that UAE’s However it is not just
to their patients’ decryption process. ransomware attacks enough to have a security
files, more than ever Unfortunately, there account for 4.27 per layer to the networks,
now in the middle of has been no Dharma cent of the world’s it is more about being
a pandemic. There decryptor released to ransomware attacks, constantly aware and
could be devastating the public yet from any which is indeed alarming. mindful of the potential
consequences if they anti-virus company. Experts have since threats.

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NOVEMBER 2020 15