(ISC)² Blog

Why Are Ransomware Attacks Increasing and How Can We Prevent Them?

Malicious cyberattacks increased exponentially in 2021. A record number of almost 850,000 complaints related to cybersecurity were recorded by Americans last year resulting in close to U.S. $7 billion lost, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Among the types of cybercrimes reported to the FBI, ransomware is on the rise and becoming more sophisticated in recent years while remote work and schooling are more prevalent. For those unaware, ransomware is a malicious software (malware) that makes a computer unusable while a cyber criminal holds data hostage until they are paid. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)... Read more →

U.S. Cyber Command Operation Targets ‘Real-life Cyber Threats’

A U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) task force has conducted “its first offensive cyber effect operation against real-life cyber threats.” Details of the operation have not been published, but the military says offensive cyberspace operations are “intended to project power by the application of force in or through cyberspace.” News of the operation, conducted by USCYBERCOM’s Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF) from February to August 2021, came in a news release from the Maryland Air National Guard’s 175th Cyber Operations Group, which took part in the mission. “USCYBERCOM’s CNMF plans, directs and synchronizes full-spectrum cyberspace operations to deter, disrupt and, if... Read more →

What's Next for Cybersecurity in 2022?

What does next year have in store for the cybersecurity industry? The “Top Five Cybersecurity Predictions for 2022” webinar presented by Steve Piper, CISSP, Founder & CEO of CyberEdge overdelivers and gives us TEN predictions for the coming year. The webinar, moderated by Brandon Dunlap, Leadership Partner, Security & Risk Management at Gartner, opens by covering the good, bad and ugly of 2021 and then moves to an engaging cybersecurity forecast for 2022. In the presentation, Steve mentions his regret in limiting the title to just five predictions, and expands upon the list by adding five honorable mentions. Top Five... Read more →

What do cybersecurity experts predict in 2022?

2022 Predictions for the Cybersecurity Industry and Advice for Newcomers or Those Working for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses By Diana-Lynn Contesti, CISSP-ISSAP, ISSMP, CSSLP, SSCP, John Martin, CISSP-ISSAP, CISM, BCS CITP, and Richard Nealon, CISSP-ISSMP, SSCP, SCF, CISM, CISA As long-time information security professionals and (ISC)² Community Champions, we have experienced the way cybersecurity employees engage and work with one another continue to adapt in response to changes in the workplace and world at large. In 2021, we experienced a rapid evolution to these interactions. Like us, you may be wondering, what will 2022 look like for information security professionals?... Read more →

(ISC)² Ransomware Study: Collaboration and Communication are Essential for Ransomware Readiness

Global C-suite executives are confident in their organizations’ preparedness to handle a ransomware attack, according to a newly published (ISC)² ransomware study titled, “Ransomware in the C-Suite: What Cybersecurity Leaders Need to Know About What Executives Need to Hear.” Although confident, C-suite executives express a strong willingness to invest in technology and staff to improve defenses—signaling that now is an opportune time for cybersecurity leaders to proactively address their organizational readiness with the executive team. In response to several high-profile cyberattacks this year, (ISC)2 commissioned a survey of 750 C-level executives across the United States and the United Kingdom to... Read more →

Poll Data: What CEOs Need to Know About Cybersecurity Going into 2022

The end of the year is a good time to reflect on the past 12 months and create a plan to improve in 2022. Like years past, 2021 revealed more of the same for the cybersecurity industry—more breaches, bigger ransomware attacks, higher stakes. Some of the most disruptive cyberattacks occurred this year, such as JBS Foods, Kaseya and Colonial Pipeline. These attacks received global attention and spotlighted the need for even more attention on cybersecurity best practices. To help CEOs around the globe better understand cyber risks and how to make their businesses more secure, (ISC)² conducted an online poll... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS - Lessons Learned from the Baltimore Ransomware Attack

Martin R. Okumu lived through the ransomware attack on the City of Baltimore in 2018, which affected 90% of the municipality’s applications. As the then-director of IT infrastructure for the city, he learned a lot of valuable lessons about defending against and recovering from a ransomware attack. On Tuesday afternoon, he shared those lessons with (ISC)² Security Congress 2021 attendees during a virtual session. He is now the Chief Information Officer for the City and County of San Francisco. In many ways, Okumu said, Baltimore was not prepared for the attack. The city did not have a cyber incident response... Read more →

Ransomware Groups Reinvest Capital to Improve Attack Methods

Ransomware is big business, and it’s getting even bigger. Some successful ransomware groups now operate as efficient organizations, reinvesting the proceeds from ransom payments to grow the business and refine attack methods. Instead of relaunching the same tried-and-true attacks that have generated their handsome profits, ransomware groups are using the money to invest in R&D, an approach resembling series A financing rounds. As reported by SC Magazine, larger ransomware groups are becoming more professionalized, even holding conferences, hiring web design teams and placing want ads to build their businesses. “Ransomware, like any business, is a complex economy,” SC Magazine reported.... Read more →

National Small Business Week: 10 Best Practices for Small Business Cybersecurity

A recent survey conducted by CNBC and Momentive found that 56% of small business owners are not concerned about being the victim of a cyberattack in the next year and that only 28% of them have a response plan in place in case of a cyberattack. This does not bode well for their longevity, as other industry data shows that 60% of small businesses that suffer a data breach will be out of business within six months. The high cost of remediation and the potential for reputational damage can be more than most small businesses can withstand. Many times, the... Read more →

The Upcoming U.S. Labor Day Weekend is a Reminder to Avoid Repeating History

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced this week that they have observed an “increase in highly impactful ransomware attacks occurring on holidays and weekends.” The REvil ransomware gang knocked JBS Foods’ operations offline over the U.S. Memorial Day weekend. REvil struck again over the U.S. Fourth of July holiday weekend, launching a ransomware attack targeting Kaseya, which had a cascading effect on Kaseya’s managed service provider customers and their clients. It’s not coincidental that these attacks transpired over holiday weekends. Attackers know that it’s difficult for security teams to quickly respond... Read more →

Code Red: Hospitals Are Facing a Major Ransomware Threat

As the U.S. healthcare system struggles to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been fighting another major battle – ransomware. Nearly half (48%) of hospitals, according to a new study, have had to disconnect their networks in the past six months because of ransomware. Midsize hospitals are especially at risk, according to the study, Perspectives in Healthcare Security, conducted by Ipsos for CyberMDX and Philips. It found that while large hospitals reported an average shutdown of 6.2 hours at a cost of $21,500 per hour, midsize hospitals averaged nearly 10 hours at a cost of $45,700 per hour. The... Read more →

Trending: 4,500+ Cyber Pros Enroll in Free (ISC)2 Ransomware Course in Less Than a Month in Order to Fortify Their Preparedness and Response Skills

Nearly three weeks after (ISC)² made its highly popular Professional Development Institute (PDI) course titled “Ransomware: Identify, Protect, Detect, Recover,” free to the public through July 31, 2021, more than 4,500 professionals have enrolled in the course. The ransomware crisis has reached an all-time high, with numerous headline-grabbing attacks coming to light. Some attacks, such as the ones against Kaseya and SolarWinds, are having far-reaching effects that, by design, extend well beyond the original target. The current ransomware epidemic is leaving victim organizations struggling to remediate and others wondering if they’ll be next. However, with protection strategies and remediation plans... Read more →

NIST Has Come Out With Its Own Ransomware Guidance | #RansomwareWeek

As we close out #RansomwareWeek here on the (ISC)² blog, a timely piece of news comes from The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the form of new draft guidance for organizations concerning ransomware attacks, according to reporting by Infosecurity Magazine. As the body responsible for one of the most revered standards frameworks in the world, NIST’s entry into the discussion is remarkable. According to the Infosecurity Magazine article, “The Cybersecurity Framework Profile for Ransomware Risk Management features advice on how to defend against the malware, what to do in the event of an attack, and how to... Read more →

Six Steps to Protect Your Organization from Ransomware | #RansomwareWeek

As #RansomwareWeek draws to a close here on the (ISC)² blog, we turn our attention to how organizations can defend themselves. Yesterday, we announced that (ISC)² has granted free access to its "Ransomware: Identify, Protect, Detect, Recover" course through the Professional Development Institute to anyone who is interested in learning more about prevention and remediation. That’s because the consequences can be dire for organizations. The days of ransomware attackers demanding a few hundred dollars for a decryption key are long gone. Attacks have gotten more severe, and perpetrators have become bolder, demanding multimillion-dollar payouts from their victims. In March, CNA... Read more →

Prepare your defense against cybercriminals with ransomware best practice resources | #RansomwareWeek

Welcome back to #RansomwareWeek here on the (ISC)² Blog! Today we’re linking you up with eight episodes from the award-winning (ISC)² webinar program that touch on ransomware and cover the key components surrounding the state of cybersecurity threats. These sessions can help teams to better understand cybersecurity attacks, prepare for defense and plan a response in the event of a security breach. Anatomy of a Targeted Industrial Ransomware Attack Ransomware-New variants and Better Tactics to Defend and Defeat These Threats Darktrace #1: Ransomware in Focus: How AI Stays One Step Ahead of Attackers Ransomware Deep Dive: Examining Disturbing Ransomware Trends... Read more →

U.S. Government Equates Threat of Ransomware with Terrorism | #RansomwareWeek

Welcome to #RansomwareWeek on the (ISC)² Blog. Ransomware attacks are receiving increased exposure in global news coverage with recent high-profile incidents at SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline. These events have prompted many companies who previously may have felt secure in their practices to take a deeper look at their security measures and engage in deeper conversations surrounding threat management, cybercriminals, and cybersecurity training. This week we’ll be providing content resources that may be helpful to you, the reader, as your organization wrestles with ransomware prevention and remediation policies and best practices. As the first item in this week’s coverage, the massive... Read more →

Business Continuity – The Light in a Time of Darkness

As a security practitioner, perhaps you have found yourself in meetings about Risk Management. Or, perhaps, you are part of the incident response team, where you are responsible for everything from preparation, through post-incident reporting. The common thread that runs through risk management and incident response are the “what if this happens” scenarios. Whatever your involvement in these preparatory exercises, the overarching concern of all involved is: When will the business be up and running normally again? When confronted with such dire circumstances, the realization of the need for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery becomes as important as the business... Read more →

Cyber Threats: The Financial System’s Top Risk

With cyber attacks against financial and banking institutions now a daily occurrence, cyber threats have become the biggest risk to the global financial system, according to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. During an interview on CBS News’ 60 Minutes, Powell said cyber risks surpass even the types of lending and liquidity risks that led to the Great Recession in 2008. The chances of a financial collapse akin to 2008 are “very low,” he said. “But the world changes, the world evolves, and the risks change as well. The risk we keep our eyes on the most is cyber risk.” If... Read more →

IBM X-Force: Ransomware Was the Preferred Attack Method in 2020

In 2020, ransomware was the most widely-used method of delivering cyber attacks, accounting for 23% of security events handled by the IBM Security X-Force. One attack alone scored profits of more than $123 million for the perpetrators, according to an IBM report. A distant second to ransomware, the report says, was data theft (13%), followed by server access (10%). All three types of attack increased in comparison to 2019 numbers: +3% for ransomware, +8% for data theft, and +7% for server access. Meanwhile, scan-and-exploit attacks emerged as the top initial attack vector, and were used in 35% of attacks, up... Read more →

FBI: Cybercrime Shot Up in 2020 Amidst Pandemic

In 2020, as the world grappled with a fast-spreading global pandemic, the FBI received more than 2,000 complaints each day, totaling 791,790 for the year. This represents a 69% increase from the previous year and a total of U.S. $4.2 billion in losses, according to data collected by the FBI’s The Internet Complaint Center (IC3). Cybercriminals employed all manner of schemes to target businesses and individuals, including phishing, spoofing and tech support fraud, the FBI reported. The costliest cybercrimes were against businesses, involving Business E-mail Compromise (BEC) schemes that added up to U.S. $1.8 billion in losses from 19,369 reported... Read more →