Ionut Ilascu reports: More and more ransomware victims are resisting the extortionists and refuse to pay when they can recover from backups, despite hackers’ threats to leak the data stolen before encryption. This stance resulted in Q4 of 2020 seeing a significant decline in the average ransom payments compared to the previous quarter, says ransomware…
Category: Malware
Serco cyber attack: Belgian military and European Space Agency told ‘no data compromised’ despite hack
Alexander Martin reports: The Belgian military and the European Space Agency (ESA) are among organisations that have sought assurances from Serco, the company behind NHS Test and Trace, following a cyber attack. The outsourcing firm told them their information has not been compromised. Images of stolen files circulating on social media only indicate the criminals…
UK: Foxtons customer data leaked onto the dark web
Sabina Weston reports: Financial details belonging to customers of UK estate agency Foxtons are widely available on the dark web following a malware attack in October last year that affected parent company Foxtons Group. Despite admitting that the incident affected its subsidiary Alexander Hall, which specialises in mortgage broking, Foxtons assured its customers at the time that no “sensitive…
Ransomware payments are going down as more victims decide not to pay up
Danny Palmer reports: The average ransom paid to cyber criminals following a ransomware attack is falling as more companies become reluctant to give into extortion demands. Analysis by cybersecurity company Coveware has found that the average ransom payment paid following a ransomware attack decreased by a third in the final quarter of 2020, dropping to $154,108 from $233,817…
Fr: Yvelines. The town of Houilles paralyzed by a cyberattack
Juliette Vignaud of 78Actu reports (translation): The city of Houilles ( Yvelines ) has been facing a cyberattack since Saturday, January 30. The municipality announced it on its social networks: “The City of Houilles is the victim of a cyberattack which paralyzes the website and the municipal IT and digital services. It is not able to send e-mails or process paperless requests and procedures. The City…
NY: Victor Central School District closed Monday to in-person classes due to malware attack
Either the snow will get you or the malware will. On Saturday, it was the malware. The Victor Central School District will be closed to in-person classes Monday after a malware attack struck servers in the district. According to an e-mail sent to parents and guardians of district students, the malware attack has caused all…