Throughout 2017 we have seen ransomware attacks that range in scale from single businesses to hundreds of thousands of computers throughout the world.
A recent report Kaspersky Lab’s APT Trends report for Q2 2017 has mentioned some interesting facts and trends. Recently with the WannaCry attack and ExPetr attack that first appeared as ransomware seemed to have more of a goal of data destruction instead of a payout. The quick spread on a global scale and high profile puts their account front and center, which makes it more difficult for the attackers to cash out. This style of cyber-attack is believed to remain a trend for 2017 according to the report. The report also goes as far to say that it is likely that energy companies and other infrastructure may be in the cross hairs for hackers due to the impact it would have on a region or country.
There is still some good news in all of this. Researchers did note that the exploitation of known vulnerabilities have been the key for these types of attacks. Users should make sure their systems are up to date and patched in order to give them the best chance of fending off one of these attacks.
