The head of the Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity is warning how ransomware attacks are becoming both more common, and more complex, according to an article by The Canadian Press. Says Sami Koury, “The threat is real, the threat is growing, and we can’t talk enough about it.”
While attackers used to be about gaining controls over systems, and charging to give back that control, the focus for ransomware hackers has shifted more to data which they then can threaten to sell or otherwise expose. Says Koury of the hackers, “They recognize that over time companies have become a little bit more sophisticated about having backups, so even if they lock the information technology, they can recover it from a backup. What they’re going after now is information.”
As to how frequent it’s becoming, the Centre received 305 reports of ransomware attacks in 2022 but estimates the true number of events could be an order of magnitude higher, with many companies not wanting to admit they’ve suffered a breach. As for how organizations can protect themselves, even small steps can make a big difference, with Koury recommending stronger passwords, two-factor authorization, and education on security threats.
Says Koury, “We can absolutely make a difference. I don’t want to leave you with a feeling of hopelessness.”
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