Ransomware attack | Cybersixgill

Stopping a ransomware attack

In recent years, ransomware attacks have grown more sophisticated, prevalent and costly. Most ransomware variants are designed to encrypt valuable files on a computer, preventing users from accessing them and effectively crippling business operations. Attackers then demand a ransom in exchange for a decryption key that can restore access to business-critical resources.

To protect organizations from ransomware, security teams need solutions that provide ransomware protection before an attack begins. That’s where Cybersixgill can help. Our threat intelligence solutions monitor activity on the deep and dark web to provide insights into the latest tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) used in ransomware, as well as the intent and motivation of threat actors. With this intelligence, security teams can more effectively take action to stop ransomware attacks before they land.

The anatomy of a ransomware attack

To mount a ransomware attack, cybercriminals need to gain access to an IT system. This is often achieved through phishing. Phishing is a social engineering tactic where cybercriminals pose as reputable companies or individuals and dupe a victim into disclosing sensitive information like login credentials. Once they have access to an IT environment, ransomware operators launch malware that searches for and encrypts high-value targets. These could be documents, or even the Master Boot Record of a computer, which would prevent a system from working.

Once resources have been encrypted, the ransomware operator demands a ransom, typically in the form of cryptocurrency. For large organizations, ransoms often exceed $1 million. When victim organizations refuse to pay, ransomware attackers may leak stolen data, execute DDoS attacks, or launch third-party extortion efforts.

Ransomware attacks have become a more prevalent threat for several reasons. The availability of ransomware kits on the dark web makes it easier for less experienced attackers to mount a successful campaign. Ransomware attacks are highly profitable, creating financial incentives for cybercriminals and recent ransomware variants have developed new ways to evade detection, including only encrypting parts of files.

Superior ransomware protection solutions enable organizations to adopt a multilayered approach to security. Because ransomware spreads through phishing attacks, anti-phishing technology is essential. Unpatched vulnerabilities are a preferred attack vector, making vulnerability management a top priority. Threat intelligence that reveals attackers’ intentions, plans and TTPs can help security teams configure defenses to stop ransomware attacks on arrival.

Improve ransomware detection with Cybersixgill

Cybersixgill offers fully automated threat intelligence solutions that help organizations fight ransomware attacks and other threats. To expose risk and threats earlier, we covertly extract data from a wide range of sources on the deep and dark web, including limited-access forums, illicit marketplaces, invite-only messaging groups, paste sites, code repositories and other locations. Our fully automated crawlers infiltrate sites that are inaccessible to other threat intelligence vendors, allowing us to draw intelligence from 5x more sources than our competitors.

Cybersixgill’s threat intelligence can be consumed through various solutions and integrations, offering superior ransomware protection.

DVE Intelligence

Cybersixgill’s Dynamic Vulnerability Exploit (DVE) Intelligence offers a more effective way to prioritize vulnerabilities for remediation. Rather than simply prioritizing vulnerabilities with the highest level of severity – the traditional approach – Cybersixgill enables security teams to focus remediation efforts on vulnerabilities that are most likely to be exploited by attackers in the next 90 days. DVE scores are based on intelligence gathered from dark web sources and calculated with AI and machine learning algorithms.

API feed

Cybersixgill’s vast collection of cyber threat intelligence data can also be consumed via an application programming interface (API) that integrates directly into existing workflows and system architectures to address multiple use cases & functionalities. The API offering supports database queries and query-based notifications, actionable alerts tailored to your organizational assets, automated feed of malicious IOCs, detection of leaked user credentials, real-time feed of CVE-related events and developments, multi-tenant (MSSP) configurations and more. A new integration per customer request can be created within a week.

Investigative Portal

The Cybersixgill Investigative Portal provides security teams and analysts with the answers they need to eliminate threats quickly. Real-time context and actionable alerts accelerate time to intelligence, while the ability to conduct covert investigations helps teams to connect the dots and see the big picture. By taking a deep dive into any threat in real time to understand the context, security teams can gain total visibility into their threat landscape and take steps to prevent ransomware attacks.

How superior threat intelligence prevents a ransomware attack

Cybersixgill’s solutions enable security teams to improve ransomware prevention in several ways.

Understand the threat. Continuous threat monitoring for ransomware enables analysts to track the capabilities, specialties and limitations of specific threat actors in ransomware markets. By studying their interests, motivations, tools and TTPs, security teams can effectively counter with more targeted and accurate defenses.
Understand the target. Cybersixgill provides insight into the companies that have been targeted by ransomware operators, enabling security teams to better prepare their organizations for attack.
Get important alerts. By providing more accurate and targeted insights into the scope and nature of attacks, Cybersixgill reduces the volume of alerts and minimizes alert fatigue. Rather than a flood of ransomware alerts, our technology produces specific alerts as ransomware operators extend their reach and promote their malware on underground forums and marketplaces.
Prioritize vulnerabilities. Our DVE Intelligence enables security teams to adjust patching cadence to quickly remediate vulnerabilities that attackers are likely to use in ransomware attacks.
Track compromised access. Cybersixgill’s intelligence can alert a company when access to their user accounts and IT environment is being sold on the dark web. This enables security teams to better prepare for an attack.

Why choose Cybersixgill?

With the broadest threat intelligence collection capabilities available, Cybersixgill harnesses dark web monitoring to enable organizations to uncover emerging threats like ransomware as soon as possible. We empower security teams with agile, automated and contextual cyber threat intelligence to expose risk, pre-empt attacks and streamline the use of intelligence throughout the organization.

Cybersixgill provides security teams with:

100% automated solutions that reduce human error, increase productivity and minimize false positives.
Consolidated threat intelligence to power and modernize all tools, platforms and processes in the security stack.
Essential context to help security professionals understand the nature, source and status of threats as well as the criticality of assets and actions required for remediation.
Covert collection methods that keep security teams and assets fully anonymous.
Real-time insights that ensure security teams can stay ahead of evolving threats.

FAQs

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that blocks access to IT systems, files and data until a ransom has been paid.

How can ransomware attacks be prevented?