Ransomware Scams 2023: Types, Prevention, Q&A, Examples, and Reporting

FraudsWatch.com

&NewLine;<p>Ransomware scams have become a serious threat to individuals and organizations worldwide&period; These attacks involve encrypting the victim&&num;8217&semi;s data and demanding a ransom for its release&period; This article will discuss ten types of ransomware <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;fraudswatch&period;com&sol;category&sol;fraud&sol;" data-type&equals;"URL" data-id&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;fraudswatch&period;com&sol;category&sol;fraud&sol;">scams<&sol;a>&comma; methods for prevention&comma; provide a Q&amp&semi;A section&comma; offer examples&comma; and explain how to report such incidents&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">10 Types of Ransomware Scams<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">CryptoLocker<&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p> One of the first widespread ransomware attacks&comma; CryptoLocker used strong encryption and demanded Bitcoin payments for the decryption key&period; <&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>CryptoLocker is a type of ransomware that first appeared in 2013&period; It is a particularly virulent strain of ransomware that encrypts the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key&period; Once the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files are encrypted&comma; they are unable to access them unless they pay the ransom&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>CryptoLocker typically spreads through phishing emails that contain malicious attachments or links to infected websites&period; Once the victim clicks on the attachment or link&comma; the ransomware is downloaded and installed on their computer&comma; and begins to encrypt files&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>CryptoLocker uses strong encryption algorithms to encrypt the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files&comma; making it extremely difficult to recover the data without the decryption key&period; The ransom demanded by CryptoLocker is usually paid in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies&comma; which makes it difficult to trace the payment and identify the attacker&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>It&&num;8217&semi;s important to note that paying the ransom does not guarantee that the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files will be decrypted&period; In some cases&comma; the attacker may not provide the decryption key even after receiving the payment&comma; or the decryption key may not work properly&period; The best way to protect against CryptoLocker and other types of ransomware is to maintain up-to-date backups of your important data and to be vigilant against <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;fraudswatch&period;com&sol;tag&sol;phishing&sol;" data-type&equals;"URL" data-id&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;fraudswatch&period;com&sol;tag&sol;phishing&sol;">phishing emails<&sol;a> and other forms of malware&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">WannaCry<&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><br>WannaCry is a ransomware cryptoworm that targeted computers running the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;support&period;microsoft&period;com&sol;en-us&sol;windows&sol;protect-your-pc-from-ransomware-08ed68a7-939f-726c-7e84-a72ba92c01c3" data-type&equals;"URL" data-id&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;support&period;microsoft&period;com&sol;en-us&sol;windows&sol;protect-your-pc-from-ransomware-08ed68a7-939f-726c-7e84-a72ba92c01c3">Microsoft Windows<&sol;a> operating system&period; It encrypts data and demands a ransom payment in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency&period; The WannaCry ransomware attack was a worldwide cyberattack in May 2017&period; It propagated by using EternalBlue&comma; an exploit developed by the United States National Security Agency &lpar;NSA&rpar; for Windows systems&period; EternalBlue was stolen and leaked by a group called The Shadow Brokers a month prior to the attack&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>WannaCry spread rapidly through organizations that had not patched their Windows systems&period; It infected over 200&comma;000 computers in over 150 countries&period; The attack caused widespread disruption&comma; including the closure of schools&comma; hospitals&comma; and businesses&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The WannaCry ransomware attack was a major wake-up call for organizations around the world&period; It highlighted the importance of patching software vulnerabilities and having a strong cybersecurity posture&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some of the key features of WannaCry&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>It is a ransomware cryptoworm&comma; which means that it can spread automatically without victim participation&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>It uses EternalBlue to exploit vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>It encrypts files on the hard drives of Windows devices so users can&&num;8217&semi;t access them&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>It demands a ransom payment of between &dollar;300 to &dollar;600 in bitcoin within three days to decrypt the files&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think your computer has been infected with WannaCry&comma; there are a few things you can do&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not pay the ransom&period; There is no guarantee that you will receive the decryption keys even if you pay&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your files&period; If you have a recent backup&comma; you can restore your files from the backup&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Scan your computer with antivirus software&period; Antivirus software may be able to remove the ransomware from your computer&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Report the attack to the authorities&period; This will help them to track down the attackers and bring them to justice&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The WannaCry ransomware attack was a major cyberattack&comma; but it can be prevented&period; By patching software vulnerabilities and having a strong cybersecurity posture&comma; you can help to protect your organization from ransomware attacks&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h4 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Sources<&sol;h4>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;en&period;wikipedia&period;org&sol;wiki&sol;WannaCry&lowbar;ransomware&lowbar;attack" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener">en&period;wikipedia&period;org&sol;wiki&sol;WannaCry&lowbar;ransomware&lowbar;attack<&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Petya&sol;NotPetya<&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Petya and NotPetya are two strains of ransomware that were first discovered in 2016 and 2017&comma; respectively&period; Both strains are known for their ability to encrypt files on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer and demand a ransom payment in order to decrypt them&period; However&comma; there are some key differences between the two strains&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Petya is a file-encrypting ransomware&comma; while NotPetya is a disk-wiping ransomware&period; This means that Petya only encrypts the files on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer&comma; while NotPetya also overwrites the Master Boot Record &lpar;MBR&rpar;&comma; which is the part of a computer&&num;8217&semi;s hard drive that tells the computer how to boot up&period; This makes it much more difficult to recover from a NotPetya infection&comma; as the victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer will not be able to boot up at all&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Another key difference between Petya and NotPetya is the way they spread&period; Petya spreads through a variety of methods&comma; including email attachments&comma; malicious websites&comma; and USB drives&period; NotPetya&comma; on the other hand&comma; spreads through a vulnerability in the Windows OS called EternalBlue&period; This vulnerability was originally developed by the NSA&comma; but it was stolen and leaked by a group called The Shadow Brokers in April 2017&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The NotPetya attack was particularly devastating&comma; as it infected computers in over 60 countries and caused billions of dollars in damage&period; The attack targeted a wide range of organizations&comma; including businesses&comma; hospitals&comma; and government agencies&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think your computer has been infected with Petya or NotPetya&comma; there are a few things you can do&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not pay the ransom&period; There is no guarantee that you will receive the decryption keys even if you pay&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your files&period; If you have a recent backup&comma; you can restore your files from the backup&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Scan your computer with antivirus software&period; Antivirus software may be able to remove the ransomware from your computer&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Report the attack to the authorities&period; This will help them to track down the attackers and bring them to justice&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The Petya and NotPetya attacks were major cyberattacks&comma; but they can be prevented&period; By patching software vulnerabilities and having a strong cybersecurity posture&comma; you can help to protect your organization from ransomware attacks&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Locky<&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Locky is a ransomware malware that was first discovered in February 2016&period; It is delivered by email with an attached Microsoft Word document that contains malicious macros&period; When the user opens the document&comma; it appears to be full of gibberish&comma; and includes the phrase &&num;8220&semi;Enable macro if data encoding is incorrect&comma;&&num;8221&semi; a social engineering technique&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Once the macros are enabled&comma; Locky encrypts the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files using a combination of RSA-2048 and AES-128 encryption&period; The encryption keys are generated on the server side&comma; making manual decryption impossible&period; Locky can encrypt files on all fixed drives&comma; removable drives&comma; network and RAM disk drives&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>After the files are encrypted&comma; Locky displays a ransom note that demands a payment in Bitcoin in exchange for the decryption keys&period; The ransom note typically includes the victim&&num;8217&semi;s name&comma; email address&comma; and a countdown timer&period; If the ransom is not paid within the specified time period&comma; the decryption keys will be deleted and the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files will be lost permanently&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Locky has been used to attack a wide range of organizations&comma; including businesses&comma; hospitals&comma; and government agencies&period; The attacks have caused millions of dollars in damage&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>There are a few things that you can do to protect yourself from Locky&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not open email attachments from unknown senders&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Be careful about enabling macros in Microsoft Word documents&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Keep your software up to date&comma; including your antivirus software&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your files regularly&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think that your computer has been infected with Locky&comma; there are a few things you can do&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not pay the ransom&period; There is no guarantee that you will receive the decryption keys even if you pay&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your files&period; If you have a recent backup&comma; you can restore your files from the backup&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Scan your computer with antivirus software&period; Antivirus software may be able to remove the ransomware from your computer&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Report the attack to the authorities&period; This will help them to track down the attackers and bring them to justice&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Locky is a serious threat&comma; but it can be prevented&period; By following these safety tips&comma; you can help to protect yourself from this ransomware&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h4 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Sources<&sol;h4>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ol class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li><a target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener" href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;wikimili&period;com&sol;en&sol;Macro&lowbar;virus">wikimili&period;com&sol;en&sol;Macro&lowbar;virus<&sol;a><&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;en&period;wikipedia&period;org&sol;wiki&sol;Locky" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener">en&period;wikipedia&period;org&sol;wiki&sol;Locky<&sol;a><&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ol>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Cerber<&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Cerber is a ransomware-as-a-service &lpar;RaaS&rpar; malware that was first discovered in March 2016&period; It is a modular malware&comma; which means that it can be customized to target specific organizations or industries&period; Cerber is spread through a variety of methods&comma; including email attachments&comma; malicious websites&comma; and USB drives&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Once Cerber is installed on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer&comma; it encrypts the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files using a combination of RSA-2048 and AES-128 encryption&period; The encryption keys are generated on the server side&comma; making manual decryption impossible&period; Cerber can encrypt files on all fixed drives&comma; removable drives&comma; network and RAM disk drives&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>After the files are encrypted&comma; Cerber displays a ransom note that demands a payment in Bitcoin in exchange for the decryption keys&period; The ransom note typically includes the victim&&num;8217&semi;s name&comma; email address&comma; and a countdown timer&period; If the ransom is not paid within the specified time period&comma; the decryption keys will be deleted and the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files will be lost permanently&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Cerber has been used to attack a wide range of organizations&comma; including businesses&comma; hospitals&comma; and government agencies&period; The attacks have caused millions of dollars in damage&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>There are a few things that you can do to protect yourself from Cerber&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not open email attachments from unknown senders&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Be careful about enabling macros in Microsoft Word documents&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Keep your software up to date&comma; including your antivirus software&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your files regularly&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think that your computer has been infected with Cerber&comma; there are a few things that you can do&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not pay the ransom&period; There is no guarantee that you will receive the decryption keys even if you pay&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your files&period; If you have a recent backup&comma; you can restore your files from the backup&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Scan your computer with antivirus software&period; Antivirus software may be able to remove the ransomware from your computer&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Report the attack to the authorities&period; This will help them to track down the attackers and bring them to justice&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Cerber is a serious threat&comma; but it can be prevented&period; By following these safety tips&comma; you can help to protect yourself from this ransomware&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some additional details about Cerber&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>It is a highly sophisticated malware that is constantly being updated&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>It is very difficult to remove from a computer&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>There is no guarantee that paying the ransom will result in the decryption of your files&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think that your computer has been infected with Cerber&comma; it is important to contact a professional cybersecurity firm for help&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Ryuk<&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Ryuk is a type of ransomware that was first discovered in 2018&period; It is a targeted ransomware&comma; meaning that it is specifically designed to attack large organizations&period; Ryuk is known for its high ransom demands&comma; which can reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Ryuk is spread through a variety of methods&comma; including phishing emails&comma; malicious websites&comma; and USB drives&period; Once it is installed on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer&comma; Ryuk encrypts the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files using a strong encryption algorithm&period; The encryption keys are stored on the attacker&&num;8217&semi;s servers&comma; making it impossible for the victim to decrypt the files without paying the ransom&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>After the files are encrypted&comma; Ryuk displays a ransom note that demands a payment in Bitcoin in exchange for the decryption keys&period; The ransom note typically includes the victim&&num;8217&semi;s name&comma; email address&comma; and a countdown timer&period; If the ransom is not paid within the specified time period&comma; the decryption keys will be deleted and the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files will be lost permanently&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Ryuk has been used to attack a wide range of organizations&comma; including businesses&comma; hospitals&comma; and government agencies&period; The attacks have caused millions of dollars in damage&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>There are a few things that you can do to protect yourself from Ryuk&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not open email attachments from unknown senders&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Be careful about enabling macros in Microsoft Word documents&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Keep your software up to date&comma; including your antivirus software&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your files regularly&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think that your computer has been infected with Ryuk&comma; there are a few things that you can do&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not pay the ransom&period; There is no guarantee that you will receive the decryption keys even if you pay&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your files&period; If you have a recent backup&comma; you can restore your files from the backup&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Scan your computer with antivirus software&period; Antivirus software may be able to remove the ransomware from your computer&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Report the attack to the authorities&period; This will help them to track down the attackers and bring them to justice&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Ryuk is a serious threat&comma; but it can be prevented&period; By following these safety tips&comma; you can help to protect yourself from this ransomware&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some additional details about Ryuk&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>It is a highly sophisticated malware that is constantly being updated&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>It is very difficult to remove from a computer&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>There is no guarantee that paying the ransom will result in the decryption of your files&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think that your computer has been infected with Ryuk&comma; it is important to contact a professional cybersecurity firm for help&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Sodinokibi&sol;REvil <&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Sodinokibi&sol;REvil is a ransomware-as-a-service &lpar;RaaS&rpar; operation that was active from April 2019 to January 2022&period; It is considered to be one of the most sophisticated and dangerous ransomware families in existence&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>REvil ransomware encrypts files on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer and demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key&period; The ransom is typically paid in Bitcoin&period; REvil ransomware is also known for its aggressive tactics&comma; such as threatening to publish stolen data if the ransom is not paid&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>In July 2021&comma; REvil ransomware was responsible for a major attack on Kaseya&comma; a software company that provides IT management services to businesses&period; The attack affected over 1&comma;500 businesses worldwide&comma; and resulted in the loss of data for many of those businesses&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>In January 2022&comma; the Russian Federal Security Service &lpar;FSB&rpar; announced that they had dismantled the REvil ransomware operation and arrested several of its members&period; However&comma; it is possible that the REvil ransomware operation will continue under a different name&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some of the key features of Sodinokibi&sol;REvil ransomware&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>It is highly sophisticated and difficult to detect&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>It can encrypt files on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer without the victim&&num;8217&semi;s knowledge&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>It demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>It is known for its aggressive tactics&comma; such as threatening to publish stolen data if the ransom is not paid&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think that your computer has been infected with Sodinokibi&sol;REvil ransomware&comma; there are a few things you can do&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not pay the ransom&period; Paying the ransom will only encourage the attackers to continue their criminal activities&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your data&period; If you have a recent backup of your data&comma; you can restore it after the ransomware is removed&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Contact a security professional&period; A security professional can help you to remove the ransomware and restore your data&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some tips to help you protect your computer from Sodinokibi&sol;REvil ransomware&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Keep your software up to date&period; Software updates often include security patches that can help to protect your computer from ransomware attacks&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Use a firewall and antivirus software&period; A firewall can help to block unauthorized access to your computer&comma; and antivirus software can help to detect and remove ransomware infections&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Be careful about what emails you open and what links you click on&period; Ransomware attackers often use phishing emails to trick people into clicking on malicious links&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your data regularly&period; If your computer is infected with ransomware&comma; you can restore your data from a recent backup&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Maze<&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p> <&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Maze ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer and demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key&period; The ransom is typically paid in Bitcoin&period; Maze ransomware is also known for its aggressive tactics&comma; such as threatening to publish stolen data if the ransom is not paid&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Maze ransomware was first seen in May 2019&comma; and it quickly became one of the most active ransomware families in the world&period; It has been used to attack a wide range of victims&comma; including businesses&comma; government agencies&comma; and individuals&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Maze ransomware is typically distributed via email phishing or spear phishing attacks&period; The attacker will send an email that appears to be from a legitimate source&comma; such as a bank or a government agency&period; The email will contain a malicious attachment or link that&comma; when clicked&comma; will download the Maze ransomware onto the victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Once Maze ransomware is installed on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer&comma; it will encrypt all of the files on the computer&period; The encrypted files will be renamed with a &period;maze extension&period; The ransomware will then display a ransom note that demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If the ransom is not paid&comma; the attacker may publish the victim&&num;8217&semi;s stolen data&period; This could include sensitive <a class&equals;"wpil&lowbar;keyword&lowbar;link" href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;fraudswatch&period;com&sol;tag&sol;financial-fraud&sol;" title&equals;"financial" data-wpil-keyword-link&equals;"linked" data-wpil-monitor-id&equals;"1019">financial<&sol;a> information&comma; personal data&comma; or intellectual property&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>There is no guarantee that paying the ransom will result in the victim receiving the decryption key&period; In some cases&comma; the attackers have simply taken the money and disappeared&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The best way to protect your computer from Maze ransomware is to keep your software up to date&comma; use a firewall and antivirus software&comma; and be careful about what emails you open and what links you click on&period; You should also back up your data regularly so that you can restore it if your computer is infected with ransomware&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some additional tips to help you protect your computer from Maze ransomware&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Be suspicious of any emails that you receive from unknown senders&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Do not open attachments or click on links in emails from unknown senders&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Keep your software up to date&period; Software updates often include security patches that can help to protect your computer from ransomware attacks&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Use a firewall and antivirus software&period; A firewall can help to block unauthorized access to your computer&comma; and antivirus software can help to detect and remove ransomware infections&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your data regularly&period; If your computer is infected with ransomware&comma; you can restore your data from a recent backup&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think that your computer has been infected with Maze ransomware&comma; there are a few things you can do&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not pay the ransom&period; Paying the ransom will only encourage the attackers to continue their criminal activities&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your data&period; If you have a recent backup of your data&comma; you can restore it after the ransomware is removed&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Contact a security professional&period; A security professional can help you to remove the ransomware and restore your data&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">DoppelPaymer<&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>DoppelPaymer is a type of ransomware that encrypts files on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer and demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key&period; The ransom is typically paid in Bitcoin&period; DoppelPaymer is also known for its aggressive tactics&comma; such as threatening to publish stolen data if the ransom is not paid&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>DoppelPaymer was first seen in April 2019&comma; and it quickly became one of the most active ransomware families in the world&period; It has been used to attack a wide range of victims&comma; including businesses&comma; government agencies&comma; and individuals&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>DoppelPaymer is typically distributed via email phishing or spear phishing attacks&period; The attacker will send an email that appears to be from a legitimate source&comma; such as a bank or a government agency&period; The email will contain a malicious attachment or link that&comma; when clicked&comma; will download the DoppelPaymer ransomware onto the victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Once DoppelPaymer is installed on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer&comma; it will encrypt all of the files on the computer&period; The encrypted files will be renamed with a &period;doppeled extension&period; The ransomware will then display a ransom note that demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If the ransom is not paid&comma; the attacker may publish the victim&&num;8217&semi;s stolen data&period; This could include sensitive financial information&comma; personal data&comma; or intellectual property&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>There is no guarantee that paying the ransom will result in the victim receiving the decryption key&period; In some cases&comma; the attackers have simply taken the money and disappeared&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The best way to protect your computer from DoppelPaymer is to keep your software up to date&comma; use a firewall and antivirus software&comma; and be careful about what emails you open and what links you click on&period; You should also back up your data regularly so that you can restore it if your computer is infected with ransomware&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some additional tips to help you protect your computer from DoppelPaymer&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Be suspicious of any emails that you receive from unknown senders&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Do not open attachments or click on links in emails from unknown senders&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Keep your software up to date&period; Software updates often include security patches that can help to protect your computer from ransomware attacks&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Use a firewall and antivirus software&period; A firewall can help to block unauthorized access to your computer&comma; and antivirus software can help to detect and remove ransomware infections&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your data regularly&period; If your computer is infected with ransomware&comma; you can restore your data from a recent backup&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think that your computer has been infected with DoppelPaymer&comma; there are a few things you can do&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not pay the ransom&period; Paying the ransom will only encourage the attackers to continue their criminal activities&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your data&period; If you have a recent backup of your data&comma; you can restore it after the ransomware is removed&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Contact a security professional&period; A security professional can help you to remove the ransomware and restore your data&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Egregor<&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Egregor is a type of ransomware that was first seen in September 2020&period; It is a variant of the Sekhmet ransomware family&comma; and it is known for its aggressive tactics&comma; such as threatening to publish stolen data if the ransom is not paid&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Egregor is typically distributed via email phishing or spear phishing attacks&period; The attacker will send an email that appears to be from a legitimate source&comma; such as a bank or a government agency&period; The email will contain a malicious attachment or link that&comma; when clicked&comma; will download the Egregor ransomware onto the victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Once Egregor is installed on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer&comma; it will encrypt all of the files on the computer&period; The encrypted files will be renamed with a &period;egregor extension&period; The ransomware will then display a ransom note that demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If the ransom is not paid&comma; the attacker may publish the victim&&num;8217&semi;s stolen data&period; This could include sensitive financial information&comma; personal data&comma; or intellectual property&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>There is no guarantee that paying the ransom will result in the victim receiving the decryption key&period; In some cases&comma; the attackers have simply taken the money and disappeared&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The best way to protect your computer from Egregor is to keep your software up to date&comma; use a firewall and antivirus software&comma; and be careful about what emails you open and what links you click on&period; You should also back up your data regularly so that you can restore it if your computer is infected with ransomware&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some additional tips to help you protect your computer from Egregor&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Be suspicious of any emails that you receive from unknown senders&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Do not open attachments or click on links in emails from unknown senders&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Keep your software up to date&period; Software updates often include security patches that can help to protect your computer from ransomware attacks&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Use a firewall and antivirus software&period; A firewall can help to block unauthorized access to your computer&comma; and antivirus software can help to detect and remove ransomware infections&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your data regularly&period; If your computer is infected with ransomware&comma; you can restore your data from a recent backup&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you think that your computer has been infected with Egregor&comma; there are a few things you can do&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Do not pay the ransom&period; Paying the ransom will only encourage the attackers to continue their criminal activities&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Back up your data&period; If you have a recent backup of your data&comma; you can restore it after the ransomware is removed&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Contact a security professional&period; A security professional can help you to remove the ransomware and restore your data&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The name Egregor comes from the occult world and is defined as &&num;8220&semi;a group effort to conjure up a magical spirit&period;&&num;8221&semi; It can also refer to a psychic connection between members of a group&period; The word is also sometimes spelled as egregore&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Egregor ransomware is a serious threat&comma; and it is important to take steps to protect your computer from it&period; By following the tips above&comma; you can help to keep your computer safe from this and other types of ransomware&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Prevention<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>To protect yourself from ransomware scams&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ol class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Keep your operating system and software up to date with the latest security patches&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Install a reputable antivirus software and keep it updated&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Use strong&comma; unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Regularly back up your data to an external storage device or cloud service&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Be cautious when opening email attachments or clicking on links from unknown sources&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Educate yourself and your employees about the risks of phishing and social engineering&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Limit access to sensitive data and use the principle of least privilege&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Implement network segmentation to limit the spread of malware&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Regularly audit and monitor your network for signs of intrusion&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Develop an incident response plan to handle ransomware and other cybersecurity threats&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ol>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Common Signs Of a Ransomware Attack&quest;<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some common signs of a ransomware attack&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ol class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li><strong>Unusual file extensions<&sol;strong>&colon; Ransomware often encrypts the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files and adds a new extension to the filenames&comma; indicating that they have been encrypted&period; For example&comma; &&num;8220&semi;&period;encrypted&&num;8221&semi;&comma; &&num;8220&semi;&period;locked&&num;8221&semi; or &&num;8220&semi;&period;crypt&&num;8221&semi;&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Unusual pop-up messages<&sol;strong>&colon; Ransomware may display pop-up messages claiming that the victim&&num;8217&semi;s files have been encrypted and demanding payment in exchange for the decryption key&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Unresponsive system or programs<&sol;strong>&colon; Ransomware may slow down the victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer or cause programs to become unresponsive due to the heavy processing required for encryption&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Missing or renamed files<&sol;strong>&colon; Ransomware may delete or rename files as part of its encryption process&comma; leaving the victim unable to access their data&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Suspicious network activity<&sol;strong>&colon; Ransomware may communicate with a command-and-control server to send information about the victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer or to receive instructions from the attacker&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Large numbers of files being encrypted<&sol;strong>&colon; Ransomware often targets many files in a short amount of time&comma; so if you notice that a large number of files have been encrypted or changed recently&comma; it could be a sign of ransomware&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ol>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>It&&num;8217&semi;s important to note that some ransomware strains are designed to operate quietly in the background&comma; so not all ransomware attacks may exhibit these signs&period; If you suspect that your computer may be infected with ransomware&comma; it&&num;8217&semi;s important to seek help from a cybersecurity professional as soon as possible&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Q&amp&semi;A<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ol class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li><strong>What is ransomware&quest;<&sol;strong><br>Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts data on a victim&&num;8217&semi;s computer or network and demands a ransom for the decryption key&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>How does ransomware spread&quest;<&sol;strong><br>Ransomware spreads through phishing emails&comma; malicious attachments&comma; exploit kits&comma; and other infection vectors&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>What is the average ransom demand&quest;<&sol;strong><br>Ransom demands vary but often range from hundreds to thousands of dollars for individuals and tens of thousands to millions for organizations&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Should I pay the ransom&quest;<&sol;strong><br>Law enforcement and cybersecurity experts generally advise against paying ransoms&comma; as it encourages future attacks and there&&num;8217&semi;s no guarantee you&&num;8217&semi;ll recover your data&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>What happens if I don&&num;8217&semi;t pay the ransom&quest;<&sol;strong><br>If you don&&num;8217&semi;t pay the ransom&comma; you risk losing access to your encrypted data permanently&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Can ransomware be removed&quest;<&sol;strong><br>While ransomware can often be removed&comma; this doesn&&num;8217&semi;t guarantee the recovery of encrypted data&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>How can I recover my data without paying the ransom&quest;<&sol;strong><br>Regular backups are the best way to recover your data without paying the ransom&period; In some cases&comma; free decryption tools may be available&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>What industries are most targeted by ransomware&quest;<&sol;strong><br>Healthcare&comma; education&comma; government&comma; and financial sectors are among the most targeted industries due to their sensitive data and potential for disruption&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>What is a ransomware-as-a-service &lpar;RaaS&rpar;&quest;<&sol;strong><br>RaaS is a business model where criminals provide ransomware tools and infrastructure to other criminals for a fee or a share of the profits&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Can ransomware spread to other devices on a network&quest;<&sol;strong><br>Yes&comma; ransomware can often spread laterally across a network&comma; encrypting data on multiple devices&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ol>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Examples<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ol class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li><strong>Colonial Pipeline attack &lpar;2021&rpar;&colon;<&sol;strong> The DarkSide ransomware group targeted the largest fuel pipeline in the United States&comma; causing widespread disruption and a temporary shutdown&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Garmin &lpar;2020&rpar;&colon;<&sol;strong> The navigation technology company suffered a WastedLocker ransomware attack that led to service outages and a reported &dollar;10 million ransom payment&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>City of Atlanta &lpar;2018&rpar;&colon;<&sol;strong> The SamSam ransomware attack on the City of Atlanta resulted in a massive disruption of city services&comma; costing millions of dollars in recovery efforts&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>NHS &lpar;2017&rpar;&colon;<&sol;strong> The WannaCry ransomware attack affected the UK&&num;8217&semi;s National Health Service&comma; causing the cancellation of thousands of appointments and surgeries&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Travelex &lpar;2020&rpar;&colon;<&sol;strong> The foreign exchange company Travelex fell victim to a Sodinokibi&sol;REvil ransomware attack&comma; resulting in a month-long outage and a reported &dollar;2&period;3 million ransom payment&period;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ol>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Reporting Ransomware Scams<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you or your organization are a victim of a ransomware attack&comma; it&&num;8217&semi;s essential to report the incident to the appropriate authorities&period; In the United States&comma; you should contact your local FBI field office or the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency &lpar;CISA&rpar;&period; In the UK&comma; report ransomware incidents to the National Cyber Security Centre &lpar;NCSC&rpar; and Action Fraud&period; In other countries&comma; contact your local law enforcement or cybersecurity agency&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>In addition to reporting the incident to the authorities&comma; consider sharing information about the attack with relevant industry groups or information sharing and analysis centers &lpar;ISACs&rpar; to help others mitigate similar threats&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Remember&comma; ransomware scams are a growing problem&comma; but by staying informed&comma; taking proactive measures&comma; and working together&comma; we can reduce the impact of these malicious attacks&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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