Strata Information Technology Blog

During this time of year, many people like to sit back and reminisce upon favorite stories from the past. We figured we’d join in the fun by reimagining what many argue to be a holiday classic: Die Hard.

Let’s take a few moments to consider how the story might play out if the action were to take place today…

We haven’t exactly been shy about sharing our recommendation that a ransomware demand should never be met with payment, but there is now an even more impactful reason not to. This deterrent comes courtesy of the United States Treasury Department, which has released a statement informing businesses of potential fines as retribution for doing so.

Chances are, you’ve heard the term “ransomware” before. If you’re familiar with this particularly nasty bit of malware, the rest of this blog will be a familiar review. If you’re new to the term, let’s introduce you to the mean-spirited cyberattack known as ransomware.

Ransomware has become infamous in the past few years, largely due to its involvement in a growing number of cyberattacks during this time. Of course, not all ransomware works in the same way, and recognizing the difference could prove to be useful. Therefore, we’ve taken a few moments and assembled a brief description of the four most common ransomware varieties.

Florida’s Atlantic coast is a destination for millions of visitors each year. One visitor is costing a coastal city a pretty penny. Riviera Beach, a small city just north of West Palm Beach, has been hit with a major ransomware attack. Today, we’ll tell you how it came to be that the small beach city would make dubious history by paying what is the largest ransomware payout in the short history of these attacks.

Ransomware is a contender for the favorite method of attack for hackers. If you think about it, ransomware presents a no-loss situation. Either the victim pays the ransom and the hackers laugh all the way to the bank, or they move on to the next target and give them the same ultimatum.

Ransomware is still going strong, and now more than ever it’s important to emphasize the danger that it poses for your organization. Even municipalities and other high-profile targets are at risk of being taken down by ransomware. Since 2013, over 170 government systems at the county, city, or state levels have been attacked.

I think by now most people understand just how dangerous ransomware is. Even with some of the ridiculous names they have like Gandcrab, Jigsaw, and WannaCry. Hell, two strains even have names from the James Bond canon: LeChiffre and GoldenEye. But one funny-named strain of ransomware, SamSam, has been devastating information systems for sometime, and has caught the eye of several U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Ransomware exploded in 2017, and after a year with as much success as these attacks saw, it is no wonder that 2018 is expected to see more. However, in order to remain successful, ransomware will have to change and improve. In today’s blog, we explore a few predictions as to how this threat will do so.

When it comes to efficiency and ergonomics, there is no doubt that digital records are more amenable than paper ones. Digital records are easy to search, store, secure and backup to say the least. When you decide to look into going paperless, a quick Internet search will probably leave you with thousands of pages that detail a variety of ways your business can make the jump. Considering how important your documents are to your business’ well-being, it’s important to look before you leap.

According to the homeland security adviser to the White House, Tom Bossert, international blame for the global WannaCry attack is being directed toward North Korea. Responsibility for the attack that spanned from May 12th to the 15th of 2017 has been firmly placed on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which Bossert says is in agreement with the conclusions of Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! To prepare for this incredibly important month, you’ll want to focus your efforts on ensuring your business is protected against the myriad of online threats that can pose a danger for your business. Thankfully, you don’t have to do it alone. With our trusted IT professionals by your side, you’ll be able to take the fight to hackers and other entities that threaten your data.

Are we safe from Ransomware?

The headline-grabbing nature of WannaCry put just about several of our clients on edge. Just one month after the WannaCry outbreak, we find ourselves again wondering, are we safe, as the next batch of ransomware spreads across the globe—this time from the Petya family variant.

In a matter of hours, the new Petya ransomware spread its way across 65 countries. While WannaCry and Petya aren’t the first versions of ransomware, they are a new breed of ransomware, ones that use powerful exploits to enable rapid propagation within and to new organizations. As your Technology Advisor, we want you to understand this ransomware outbreak and how it can affect business network and what is Strata IT doing to keep you protected.

A new malware swept across the globe Tuesday, incorporating facets of many ransomwares that have made headlines recently. While it originally appeared to be a variant of the Petya ransomware, it has been determined that it shares more in common with WannaCry. However, “NotPetya,” as it has been named, has a few additional features that experts say make it worse than either of its predecessors.

Looking back over the events of 2016, one thing was made very clear by cybercriminals: ransomware is a rising star in their arsenal. In order to continue to remain protected against these threats, it is critical to have a clear understanding of them.

Run your Windows Updates and be very skeptical about opening unsolicited emails. Failure to do so may result in a very dangerous strain of ransomware that could infect your entire network and spread to your clients, partners, and prospects.