Tag Archive for: slowing

Ransomware attacks slowing as 2022 wears on


Total ransomware attacks for the second quarter of 2022 totaled 574, representing a 34% slowdown compared to the first quarter of the year, according to a report released Thursday by GuidePoint Research.

The most impacted industries were manufacturing and construction, GuidePoint’s report said, accounting for 18.3% of all claimed attacks during the quarter. The tech sector was also heavily targeted, as were government agencies. The US was the most-attacked country, according to the report, representing nearly a quarter of all global ransomware victims.

The most active ransomware group in the second quarter was Lockbit, a ransomware-as-a-service operation that offers its software to affiliates who actually compromise the target’s systems and share any profits. Lockbit has made several technical advances of late, according to CSO Online, including the introduction of its own data theft toolkit and the ability to more speedily deploy their ransomware after a target network is compromised.

A total of 208 attacks using Lockbit were recorded during the study’s time frame. Lockbit, the report said, runs on a fairly professional basis, with a bug bounty program, a set percentage of proceeds from an attack payable to the group as a use fee, and restrictions on using its software against organizations like critical infrastructure providers where encryption could cause deaths.

A new group, as well, emerged during the second quarter, dubbed Blackbasta, which heavily targeted industrial and manufacturing companies. The Conti ransomware group, by contrast, was shut down in May, substantially limiting the number of attacks made under its banner in the quarter, which were nevertheless good for second place behind Lockbit2, with 41 victims.

Conti was known for its aggressive approach and—unusually for a prominent ransomware group—its habit of failing to follow through on promises to decrypt compromised data, even when ransoms were paid. However, while the Conti brand is effectively shuttered, the people behind it are likely still active. According to Drew Scmitt, operations lead at GuidePoint, Lockbit is likely to continue leading the way for the ransomware…

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China’s Economy Is Slowing, a Worrying Sign for the World


BEIJING — Construction and property sales have slumped. Small businesses have shut because of rising costs and weak sales. Debt-laden local governments are cutting the pay of civil servants.

China’s economy slowed markedly in the final months of last year as government measures to limit real estate speculation hurt other sectors as well. Lockdowns and travel restrictions to contain the coronavirus also dented consumer spending. Stringent regulations on everything from internet businesses to after-school tutoring companies have set off a wave of layoffs.

China’s National Bureau of Statistics said Monday that economic output from October through December was only 4 percent higher than during the same period a year earlier. That was a deceleration from the 4.9 percent growth in the third quarter, July through September.

The world’s demand for consumer electronics, furniture and other home comforts during the pandemic has produced record-setting exports for China, preventing its growth from stalling. Over all of last year, China’s economic output was 8.1 percent higher than in 2020, the government said. But much of the growth was in the first half of last year.

The snapshot of China’s economy, the main locomotive of global growth in the last few years, adds to expectations that the broader world economic outlook is beginning to dim. Making matters worse, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is now starting to spread in China, leading to more restrictions around the country and raising fears of renewed disruption of supply chains.

The slowing economy poses a dilemma for China’s leaders. The measures they have imposed to address income inequality and rein in companies are part of a long-term plan to protect the economy and national security. But officials are wary of causing short-term economic instability, particularly in a year of unusual political importance.

Next month, Beijing hosts the Winter Olympics, which will focus an international spotlight on the country’s performance. In the fall, Xi Jinping, China’s leader, is expected to claim a third five-year term at a Communist Party congress.

Mr. Xi has sought to strike an optimistic note. “We have every confidence in…

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A ‘kill switch’ is slowing the spread of WannaCry ransomware

Friday’s unprecedented ransomware attack may have stopped spreading to new machines — at least briefly — thanks to a “kill switch” that a security researcher has activated.

The ransomware, called Wana Decryptor or WannaCry, has been found infecting machines across the globe. It works by exploiting a Windows vulnerability that the U.S. National Security Agency may have used for spying.

The malware encrypts data on a PC and shows users a note demanding $ 300 in bitcoin to have their data decrypted. Images of the ransom note have been circulating on Twitter. Security experts have detected tens of thousands of attacks, apparently spreading over LANs and the internet like a computer worm.

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Why is Norton security slowing down my computer?

I just installed Norton and now my computer is running so slow and crashing sometimes too. Is there a setting on Norton that I can change or something so my computer will be normal again?