Tag Archive for: paying

Paying Hackers’ Ransom Demands Is Getting Harder

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If your data center’s ransomware recovery plan is to pay off the hackers with cryptocurrency, it’s time to rethink your strategy as regulators crack down.

Today, every data center manager should be aware of the dangers of ransomware and have a disaster recovery plan that doesn’t involve paying hackers’ ransomware demands.

But, according to a ransomware survey report released in June by Keeper Security, 49% of companies hit by ransomware paid the ransom — and another 22% declined to say whether they paid or not. Part of the reason why so many companies are paying hackers is the lack of usable backups.

It’s not enough just to have tape backups of key databases in an offsite location somewhere. Yes, they’re going to be safe from attackers, but restoration is going to take time and money. Often, paying the ransoms is cheaper and quicker.

That strategy might not fly for much longer.

Ransomware Payment Sanctions

Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned a cryptocurrency exchange for its role in facilitating ransomware payments and issued an advisory to private companies making such payments that they might be facing sanctions risks.

According to the Treasury, ransomware payments reached $400 million — four times higher than in 2019. And that number is just a fraction of the total economic cost of ransomware.

“The new designations means that U.S. entities and citizens will be banned from performing transactions with sanctioned entities and could themselves face sanctions or enforcement actions for doing business with them,” said John LaCour, founder and CEO at PhishLabs, a cybersecurity firm. “No board will want to take on that personal risk.”

Companies should change their mindsets, he added, to one where paying hackers is not an option.

“It can be a good exercise for companies,” he told Data Center Knowledge. “Which data or systems would they have been willing to pay ransom for? And what additional protections do they need to apply to those systems so as not to find themselves in that position?”

The U.S. isn’t the only country starting to crack down on crypto payments. On Friday, China announced a ban on all…

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First step in fighting ransomware? Stop paying the cyberthieves | Editorial

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Running a business or a government agency is difficult enough during the pandemic. Imagine being broadsided by a ransomware attack.

All at once, computer screens freeze. A cybergang pops up to explain the methodology for paying the ransom in cryptocurrency, and what happens if the requisite bitcoins never show up.


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Ransomware: How cybercriminals hold data hostage… and why the best solution is often paying a ransom – 60 Minutes

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We’re seeing just how defenseless our food and fuel supplies can be to hackers. This month, the largest meat producer in America was forced to close for several days. And that was only three weeks after hackers shut down the main source of gasoline for the East Coast. Both were ransomware, attacks by hackers who break into a computer network and lock it until ransom is paid. Colonial pipeline paid more than $4 million, in May, to get fuel flowing in the East again. As we first told you in 2019, critical public service networks are also targets. Twenty-six percent of cities and counties, for example, report that they fend off network attacks every hour. Perhaps even worse, dozens of hospitals have been held hostage all across the country.

In January 2018, the night shift at Hancock Regional Hospital watched its computers crash with deepest apologies. The 100-bed facility in the suburbs of Indianapolis got its CEO, Steve Long, out of bed.

Steve Long: We had never been through this before. And it’s something that I read in the journals. And I say, “Oh, those poor folks. I’m glad that’s never going to happen to us.” But when you come in and you see that the files on your computer have been renamed and all of the files were renamed either “we apologize for files” or “we’re sorry.” And there was a moment when I thought, “Well, maybe they’re not so bad. They said they were sorry.” But, in fact, they had encrypted every file that we had on our computers and on the network.

steve-long-1.jpg
Steve Long

Long told 911 to divert emergency patients to a hospital 20 miles away. His staff turned to pen and paper. Nothing electronic could be trusted.

Steve Long: This is a ransomware, so this is a virus that has gotten into the computer system. “Would it have the ability to jump to a piece of clinical equipment? Could it jump to an IV pump? Could it jump to a ventilator? We needed a little time just to make sure about that.”

But time was a luxury not offered in the ransom demand.

Steve Long: “Your network has been encrypted. If you would like to purchase the decryption keys, you have seven days to do so or your network files will be permanently deleted.” And then it gave us the…

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Highest paying jobs in Central Pa. that require a bachelor’s degree

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(STACKER) While college and university tuition costs may be skyrocketing, many still believe a bachelor’s degree is essential to landing a high-paying job in the United States. Stacker compiled a list of the highest paying jobs that typically require a bachelor’s in Harrisburg using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2020 annual mean wage.

Whether highly technical, scientific, or based in finance or the arts, all the jobs require keeping up to date with the latest developments in culture, commerce, or tech.

Keep reading to discover the highest-paying jobs that require a bachelor degree in Harrisburg.

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

#50. Social and community service managers

Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
– Annual mean salary: $72,550
– #130 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 400

National
– Annual mean salary: $75,140
– Employment: 155,800
– Entry level education requirements: Bachelor’s degree
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Yuba City, CA ($96,530)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($95,650)
— Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($94,900)
– Job description: Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of a social service program or community outreach organization. Oversee the program or organization’s budget and policies regarding participant involvement, program requirements, and benefits. Work may involve directing social workers, counselors, or probation officers.

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

#49. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents

Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
– Annual mean salary: $73,050
– #140 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 750

National
– Annual mean salary: $96,540
– Employment: 440,300
– Entry level education requirements: Bachelor’s degree
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($156,380)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($155,340)
— Missoula, MT ($122,420)
– Job description: Buy and sell securities or commodities in investment and trading firms, or provide financial services to businesses and…

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