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Tag: JBS

  • 86% of Organizations Expect to Suffer a Successful Cyberattack

    86% of Organizations Expect to Suffer a Successful Cyberattack

    A whopping 86% of organizations expect to suffer a successful cyberattack in the next year.

    Cyberattacks have been on the rise for years, although the last year has seen some particularly devastating examples. The ransomware attacks on Colonial Pipeline, Kaseya and JBS are some of most recent ones that have had far-reaching consequences.

    Unfortunately, the outlook going forward doesn’t look much better. According to the latest research by Trend Micro, some 86% of organizations expect to be the victim of a successful cyberattack within the next 12 months.

    In asking about attacks in the past 12 months and future attacks in next 12 months, the results don’t bode well for 2H’2021. Globally, 81% had 1 or more successful attacks, and 24% had 7 or more successful attacks in the past 12 months. Additionally, 86% say it is somewhat to very likely they will have a successful attack in the next 12 months. This again appears to indicate organizations know they are not prepared enough to defend against new attacks.

    Cybersecurity has been a major focus of the Biden administration, but it looks like there’s still a long way to go before companies feel safe from threats.

  • FBI Has More Than 100 Ransomware Groups on its Radar

    FBI Has More Than 100 Ransomware Groups on its Radar

    The FBI is currently keeping tabs on more than 100 ransomware groups in the wake of multiple, high-profile attacks.

    Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division, was testifying before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing when he divulged the statistic, according to NBC News. Ransomware gangs have already cost untold damage in recent times. Hackers targeted managed software provider Kaseya; shut down JBS, one of the world’s largest meat processors; and crippled fuel supplies on the US East Coast by attacking Colonial Pipeline.

    Some ransomware gangs have gone dark, most notably REvil, the gang behind the Kaseya attack. Similarly, the gang behind the Colonial Pipeline attack have disbanded their Ransomware as a Service (SaaS) operations.

    Assistant Director Vorndran’s revelation echoes what other experts have said, warning that organizations should not get complacent just because some gangs have shut down.

  • US Offers $10 Million Reward for Information on ‘Foreign Malicious Cyber Activity’

    US Offers $10 Million Reward for Information on ‘Foreign Malicious Cyber Activity’

    The US is ramping up its fight against cybercriminals, especially those who are state-sponsored, offering a $10 million reward for information.

    Cybersecurity has become the new battleground of the 21st century. To make matters worse, many hacking groups are state-sponsored, as a successful cyberattack carries far less risk for a hostile government than open confrontation.

    The US has been rocked by multiple ransomware attacks, including against critical infrastructure. The Colonial Pipeline attack had a devastating impact on the East Cost fuel supply, the attack against JBS threatened the food chain and the Kaseya attack is believed to have up to 1,500 victims. 

    The State Department is fighting back, using its Rewards for Justiceprogram to offer “a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).”

    To protect anyone having information, Rewards for Justice has set up a Dark Web, Tor-based method for reporting tips.

    For more information, visit www.rewardsforjustice.net.

  • Experts Warn of Ongoing Danger Despite REvil Going Dark

    Experts Warn of Ongoing Danger Despite REvil Going Dark

    Ransomware gang REvil may have gone dark, with its sites offline, but experts are warning against becoming complacent.

    REvil has been behind two recent, high-profile ransomware attacks. The group was behind the attack that crippled JBS, one of the world’s leading meat processors. They were also behind the largest-ever ransomware attack on Kaseya.

    REvil appears to have gone dark, with all of its websites going offline. Some believe the group may have received a subpoena, prompting the group to erase their servers in an effort to avoid prosecution.

    Despite the apparent good news, cybersecurity experts are warning against becoming complacent, as it’s only a matter of time before the group, or at least its members, resurface.

    Toshihiro Koike, CEO of Cyber Security Cloud Inc. (CSC), the provider of the only service on the market that automatically builds, tests and tunes AWS rules and continuously defends against zero-day threats, on the recent news that the REvil hacking group disappeared this afternoon. 

    “It doesn’t matter if REvil’s sites have gone dark; the threat of ransomware attacks is constant and the players will just re-emerge elsewhere,” Toshihiro Koike, CEO of Cyber Security Cloud Inc, told WebProNews. “Now is the time for companies to re-evaluate their systems and become proactive about cybersecurity. Every company on Earth is vulnerable to a debilitating ransomware attack, so what are you going to do about it?”

    Koike’s warning should be a sobering reminder to companies large and small to continue securing their networks and services.

  • Kaseya Ransomware Victims May Reach 1,500

    Kaseya Ransomware Victims May Reach 1,500

    Kaseya has acknowledged as many as 1,500 businesses may have been impacted by the ransomware attack targeting its software.

    On July 2, Kaseya began learning of a coordinated attack against its software. Kaseya makes IT management software, and its customers provide managed IT services to somewhere between 800,000 and 1,000,000 small businesses.

    The company says it immediately shut down the software being targeted, although an estimated 800 to 1,500 businesses have been compromised.

    “Our global teams are working around the clock to get our customers back up and running,” said Fred Voccola, CEO, Kaseya. “We understand that every second they are shut down, it impacts their livelihood, which is why we’re working feverishly to get this resolved.”

    The perpetrators appear to be the REvil gang, most recently responsible for the ransomware attack on meat processor JBS. That attack resulted in JSB paying an $11 million ransom to prevent excessive strain on the world’s meat supply.

    In this case, the group initially demanded a $70 million ransom. According to CNBC, REvil has privately lowered the demand to $50 million.

  • Cyberattack Cripples JBS, World’s Largest Meat Producer

    Cyberattack Cripples JBS, World’s Largest Meat Producer

    A cyberattack has crippled JBS, the world’s largest meat producer, with plants in the US, Canada and Australia shutting down.

    JBS experienced a cyberattack on May 30, targeting its IT systems. The attack shut down the company’s Canadian operations, as well as those in Australia and the US. The company has not yet indicated exactly what kind of attack it suffered, although ransomware is a likely candidate.

    As Bloomberg points out, the company’s Brooks, Alberta beef plant accounts for more than a quarter of Canada’s entire supply of beef, illustrating how critical JBS is to the world’s meat supply. There are likely to be trickle-down effects, as JBS is warning transactions with its suppliers and customers may also be impacted.

    JBS told Bloomberg its backup servers were not affected, and the company is already working to restore operations using them. The company is also not aware of any of its supplier, customer or employee data being compromised.

    Coming just weeks after the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack drove up fuel prices on the East Coast, the JBS attack illustrates the increasing threat cyberattacks pose on critical infrastructure and commodities.

    “If the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack didn’t impact enough consumers to spur response by the international community, the JBS meat supplier incident likely will,” Meg King, Director of the Science and Technology Innovation Program at The Wilson Center, told WebProNews. “ Now is the time for a global agreement to break the business model of ransomware. This will keep happening – at great cost to life and treasure – if we don’t identify and stop the biggest actors, gain better early warning, and help companies improve their cybersecurity.”