Catalin Cimpanu reports: A newly discovered malware strain is a multi-tasking threat that besides working as ransomware and encrypting users’ files, it can also log and steal their keystrokes, and add infected computers to a spam-sending botnet. This new threat is named Virobot and appears to be under development, and comprised of multiple components that…
Category: Malware
UK: Arran Brewery blackmailed by hackers as Scottish beer firm becomes latest victim of sophisticated Ransomware attack
Jonathan Whitelaw reports: A Tiny Scots brewery has been blackmailed by cyber hackers as part of a sophisticated Ransomware attack. Bosses at The Arran Brewery were targeted by the online crooks before bringing in experts to beef up their security. And they say that the attack caused severe disruption to the business and the loss…
Virus shuts down city services in Beatrice, Nebraska
Scott Koperski reports: A virus shut down many city operations this week, including phone and internet services for several departments. City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer said city departments lost phone and internet service in the downtown area, including city hall, the Beatrice Police Department and city auditorium, which houses Beatrice Fire and Rescue. […] It’s believed…
Ransomware attacks against hospitals: A timeline
Seth Rosenblatt and Pinguino Kolb report: Ransomware attacks are serious business for hackers―and often completely avoidable. Hospitals and health care systems, now in the business of collecting patient data as a side effect of treating physical maladies, struggle to keep that information secure. While there’s no ransomware-specific cost estimate to the health care business, Verizon’s…
Monroe County School District system attacked with GandCrab ransomware
Gwen Filosa reports: The Monroe County School District has been forced to shut down its computer system for nearly three days due to a cyberattack. An employee working on payroll work Sunday noticed some problems with the computer system and put in a request with the district’s IT department, administrators said. The tech team contacted…
Fetal Diagnostic Institute of the Pacific notifies 40,800 patients after ransomware attack
From their public notice of August 30, below, it appears that the attack was disovered on June 30. The incident was reported to HHS as impacting 40,800 patients. While the notification below meets all the regulatory requirements, I wish entities would routinely just disclose how malware was injected and what kind of malware it was….