Search Results for: Ransom Attack
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CYBER SECURITY
Government computers and networks were not affected during global WannaCry Ransom attack, Mucheru
Following the recent WannaCry Ransom attack that hit the world on Friday, May 14, the Ministry of Information and Technology…
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CYBER SECURITY
Ransom Demands Double as Unknown Security Gaps Blamed for Nearly Half of Retail Cyberattacks
The retail sector is facing a severe and complex threat landscape, with nearly half (46%) of all ransomware incidents traced…
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CYBER SECURITY
Prolific Ransomware Groups Intentionally Switch on Remote Encryption for Attacks, Sophos Finds
Sophos has today released a report, titled “CryptoGuard: An Asymmetric Approach to the Ransomware Battle,” which found that some of…
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News
Retailers are struggling to deal with ransomware attacks, Sophos report
Retailers are finding it hard to deal with ransomware attacks, a new report by cybersecurity firm Sophos has revealed. After…
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News
75% of Healthcare Organisations Lose Data To Ransomware Attacks, Sophos report
Cybercriminals successfully encrypted data in nearly 75% of ransomware attacks on healthcare organisations. This is according to the The State…
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News
Recent Attacks Suggest the Three Ransomware Groups Are Sharing Playbooks, Sophos report
Cybersecurity firm Sophos has released new findings into the connections between the most prominent ransomware groups this past year, including…
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News
Education Sector Reports Highest Rate of Ransomware Attacks, Report
The education sector reported the highest rate of ransomware attacks in 2022 according to a new report released by cybersecurity…
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CYBER SECURITY
Nearly 75% of Local and State Government Organizations Attacked by Ransomware Had Their Data Encrypted, Sophos
72% of state and local government organizations attacked by ransomware had their data encrypted—7% more than the cross-sector average. This…
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CYBER SECURITY
Hive, LockBit and BlackCat Ransomware Gangs Consecutively Attack the Same Network, Sophos Reports
Sophos today announced in the Sophos X-Ops Active Adversary whitepaper, “Multiple Attackers: A Clear and Present Danger,” that Hive, LockBit and BlackCat, three prominent ransomware…
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CYBER SECURITY
Ransomware Attacks on Healthcare Organizations Increased 94% in 2021, Sophos Survey
Sophos has published a new sectoral survey report, “The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2022.” The findings reveal a 94%…
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CYBER SECURITY
Conti Gang Encrypts Karma’s Extortion Notes in Dual Ransomware Attack, Sophos Research Reveals
Sophos today released findings of a dual ransomware attack where extortion notes left by Karma ransomware operators were encrypted 24…
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News
New Sophos research into a Midas ransomware attack highlights the risks of limited access controls and “ghost” tools
Sophos has released findings from an incident involving Midas ransomware that took place over two months and involved extensive lateral movement through the…
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News
AvosLocker Ransomware Uses AnyDesk in Safe Mode to Launch Attacks, Sophos Reports
Sophos released new research about AvosLocker ransomware in the article, “AvosLocker Remotely Accesses Boxes, Even Running in Safe Mode.” Sophos…
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News
Sophos Rapid Response Details Top Ways Ransomware Attackers Ramp up Pressure to Pay
Cybersecurity firm Sophos has published an article detailing how ransomware attackers are implementing a wide range of ruthless pressure tactics to…
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News
Retail sector became top target for ransomware and data-theft extortion attacks during the pandemic in 2020, Sophos
Sophos has published the “State of Ransomware in Retail,” which looks at the extent and impact of ransomware attacks on mid-sized…
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CYBER SECURITY
Brandon Rochat: What SMEs need to know about Ransomware attacks
Ransomware attacks are on the rise and malicious cybercriminals are always fine-tuning their strategies. Business leaders need to realise that…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos shows how a five-day Conti ransomware attack unfolds day-by-day
In a new three-part series of articles, Sophos researchers and incident responders unveil what really happens when attackers break into…
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CYBER SECURITY
Apple supplier Foxconn Hit by Ransomware Attack
Foxconn Technology Group, the company that assembles iPhones for Apple, was hit by a cyber attack in November that affected…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos Threat Report Flags Ransomware and Other Significant Cyberattack Trends Expected to Shape IT Security In 2021
Sophos today published the Sophos 2021 Threat Report, which flags how ransomware and fast-changing attacker behaviors, from advanced to entry…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos Deconstructs Dharma Ransomware-as-a-Service Attacks on Small and Mid-Sized Businesses During Global COVID-19 Pandemic
Sophos today published, “Color by Numbers: Inside a Dharma Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) Attack,” which provides the first in-depth look at an…
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CYBER SECURITY
Paying Ransom Doubles Ransomware Attack Recovery Cost, Says Sophos
Many organisations have always considered paying cyber ransom whenever they are hit by a ransomware attack. Doing so might however…
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CYBER SECURITY
How most prevalent and persistent ransomware families attack victims
Sophos has published How Ransomware Attacks, a playbook for defenders that explains how ransomware variants attack and impact victims. The playbook…
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CYBER SECURITY
Your DSLR Camera is Also Vulnerable to Ransomware Attacks
Would you have ever imagined that cameras can be susceptible to attacks? I bet you’d think they are not. The…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos warns of more SamSam ransomware copycat attacks in 2019
Instead of using mass spamming techniques to blast malware to millions of recipients in the hope of collecting thousands of…
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CYBER SECURITY
Global Wannacry Ransomware Attack – Infographic
Ransomware WannaCrypt makes you cry? Struggling to survive from this large-scale cyber attack? This inforgraphic below lets you understand the…
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News
Every 10th crypto-ransomware attack is aimed at corporate users
The business segment is becoming a more and more attractive target for cipher-malware developers. According to a Kaspersky Lab report…
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News
Android ransomware attacks increases four-fold in just one year
The number of users attacked by ransomware targeting Android-based devices has increased four-fold in just one year, hitting at least…
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News
The First Hour After a Cyberattack Is When Small Businesses Make Their Biggest Decisions
For many business owners, a cyberattack begins with something that seems routine. An employee cannot log into their account. Files…
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News
President’s Website Restored, Leaving Key Questions About the Attack Unanswered
Kenya’s official presidential website is back online after a reported cyberattack forced the platform offline for several hours. The restoration…
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CYBER SECURITY
Identity Attacks Surge as Global Threat Groups Proliferate, Sophos 2026 Report Reveals
Cybercriminals are increasingly abandoning complex hacks in favor of simply logging in with stolen credentials. The 2026 Sophos Active Adversary…
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News
The Ransomware Problem Kenya Struggles to Measure
Kenya’s cybercrime losses are usually reduced to a single number. Last year, the estimate crossed Sh30 billion, a figure that…
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News
Sophos: Manufacturers Blocking More Ransomware, But Data Theft and Extortion on the Rise
Manufacturing organizations are becoming increasingly effective at stopping ransomware attacks before data can be encrypted, yet cybercriminals are countering these…
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News
IT Burnout Emerges as Education Sector Battles Ransomware, Sophos Report Finds
Sophos, the cybersecurity firm, has released its fifth annual State of Ransomware in Education report, revealing both progress and persistent…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos Enhances Managed Risk with Internal Attack Surface Management
Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, has announced the expansion of its Sophos Managed Risk…
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CYBER SECURITY
Median Ransom Now $1M, But 53% Paid Less Than Asked
Nearly 50% of companies in 2025 paid ransom to get their data back – the second highest rate of ransom…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos Report: 56% of Cases Involved Attacks Using Existing Logins
Attackers primarily gained initial network access—56% of all MDR and IR cases—by exploiting external remote services like firewalls and VPNs…
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CYBER SECURITY
Chester Wisniewski: Why the Supply Chain Remains a Prime Target for Cyberattackers
With the rise of digital transformation in recent years, businesses have become increasingly reliant on multiple partners and suppliers. This…
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News
African Telcos Increasingly Under DDoS Attacks for 2024, Report
While it’s true that every company is a potential target for distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, cybercriminals will often…
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CYBER SECURITY
South Africa Accounts for 22% of all Cyberattacks in Africa
South Africa accounts for 22% of cyberattacks on the continent and 25% of all dark web messages target organisations in…
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COLUMNS
PHYLLIS MIGWI: How African universities can fortify defenses against the growing threat of cyber attacks
When thinking about industries that cybercriminals might target, tertiary education probably isn’t the first to come to mind. But according…
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News
Two-Thirds of Healthcare Organizations Hit by Ransomware, Sophos
The rate of ransomware attacks against healthcare organizations has reached a four-year high since 2021. This is according to a…
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CYBER SECURITY
Most educational organizations paid more than the initial ransom, Sophos Survey
The average ransom paid by educational institutions is $6.6 million for primary education institutions and $4.4 million for higher education…
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CYBER SECURITY
Ransomware Groups weaponize stolen data to increase pressure on targets, report
Cybercriminals are weaponizing stolen data to increase pressure on targets who refuse to pay, a new report by cybersecurity firm…
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CYBER SECURITY
Energy and Water sector ransomware recovery costs hit $3M, Sophos survey
The median recovery costs for two critical infrastructure sectors, Energy and Water, quadrupled to $3 million over the past year,…
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CYBER SECURITY
Chester Wisniewski: Ransomware Gangs and The Media: Between Control and Mistrust
Cybercriminals traditionally operate in the shadows of the Darknet and prefer to avoid the spotlight to ensure the success of…
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CYBER SECURITY
97% of Ransomware Victims Seek Help From Law Enforcement, Sophos Report
97% of organisations hit by ransomware over the past year engaged with law enforcement and/or official government bodies for help…
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CYBER SECURITY
Ransomware Payments Increase 500% In the Last Year, Sophos Report
The average ransom payment has increased 500% in the last year. This is according to the “State of Ransomware 2024”…
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CYBER SECURITY
Attackers Are Getting In and Out Faster Than Ever, Sophos Report
Sophos has released its Active Adversary Report for Tech Leaders 2023, an in-depth look at attacker behaviors and tools during the first…
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CYBER SECURITY
More Than Two-Thirds of Manufacturing Companies Hit by Ransomware Had Their Data Encrypted, Sophos Survey
In more than two-thirds [68%] of ransomware attacks against this manufacturing sector,, the adversaries successfully encrypted data. This is according to…
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CYBER SECURITY
Data Encryption from Ransomware Reaches Highest Level in Four Years
Sophos today released its annual State of Ransomware 2023 report, which found that in 76% of ransomware attacks against surveyed…
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News
Cyberattackers Leveraged More Than 500 Unique Tools and Tactics in 2022
Sophos has released its Active Adversary Report for Business Leaders, an in-depth look at the changing behaviors and attack techniques…
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News
The cloud is a growing target for cyberattacks, new Sophos survey finds
Among Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) users, 56% experienced an increase in the volume of attacks on their organization when…
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CYBER SECURITY
Manufacturing reports highest average ransomware payment across all sectors, Sophos report
The manufacturing sector had the highest average ransom payment across all sectors—$2,036,189 versus $812,360, respectively. This is according to a…
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CYBER SECURITY
Retail Industry was the Second Most Targeted Industry by Ransomware in 2021, Report
Retail had the second highest rate of ransomware attacks last year of all sectors surveyed after the media, leisure, and…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos X-Ops debuts to tackle increasingly complex cyberattacks
Sophos today announced Sophos X-Ops, a new cross-operational unit linking SophosLabs, Sophos SecOps and Sophos AI, three established teams of cybersecurity…
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CYBER SECURITY
BlackCat Adds Brute Ratel to Attack Tools, Reports Sophos
Ransomware gang BlackCat has added Brute Ratel, a pentesting tool, to its arsenal of attack tools. This is according to “BlackCat…
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CYBER SECURITY
Attacker Dwell Time Increased by 36%, Sophos’ Active Adversary Playbook 2022 Reveals
There was a 36% increase in dwell time, with a median intruder dwell time of 15 days in 2021 versus…
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CYBER SECURITY
Attackers Are Using the Log4Shell Vulnerability to Deliver Backdoors to Virtual Servers, Sophos Research
Sophos today released findings on how attackers are using the Log4Shell vulnerability to deliver backdoors and profiling scripts to unpatched…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos Intelligence Shows Cyberattackers are Exploiting Apache Log4Shell Vulnerability
Security firm Sophos has provided new threat intelligence on how cyberattackers are already exploiting or attempting to exploit unpatched systems.…
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CYBER SECURITY
Gravitational Force of Ransomware Black Hole Pulls in Other Cyberthreats to Create One Massive, Interconnected Ransomware Delivery System, Sophos
Gravitational force of ransomware’s black hole is pulling in other cyberthreats to form one massive, interconnected ransomware delivery system –…
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CYBER SECURITY
Manufacturing and Production Companies Hit by Ransomware Least Likely To Pay The Ransom, Sophos Survey
Companies in the manufacturing and production sector are the least likely (at 19%) to submit to a ransom demand to…
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News
Cyberattacks in Africa comparable to other parts of the globe, says Kaspersky
With digital transformation a top priority on the corporate agenda as companies identify new ways to grow their business, cyber…
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News
The Education Sector Was the Hardest Hit by Ransomware in 2020
The education sector was the hardest hit by ransomware in 2020 with 44% of organizations hit (compared to 37% across…
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News
DearCry, prototype ransomware, takes advantage of Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities
Following the reporting of the Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities and the out-of-band release of security patches on March 2nd 2021, security researchers have…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos uncovers how attack code behaves while hiding in memory and built protection against it
The memory region of a hacked computer is a popular hiding place for malware because security scans don’t tend to…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos Identifies Source Of “MrbMiner” Attacks Targeting Database Servers
Sophos published a new report on MrbMiner, a recently discovered cryptominer that targets internet-facing database servers (SQL servers) and downloads…
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CYBER SECURITY
Ransomware and fileless malware to present increased threat in 2021, predicts ESET
After a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic upended the way we live, work and socialize, we are likely to…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos Launches Rapid Response Service to Identify and Neutralize Active Cybersecurity Attacks
Sophos has announced the availability of an industry-first, fixed-fee remote incident response service that identifies and neutralizes active cybersecurity attacks.…
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CYBER SECURITY
Organizations are Never the Same After Being Hit by Ransomware, Sophos Survey
Organizations are never the same after a ransomware attack. This is according to findings from a global survey conducted by…
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COLUMNS
Peter Mackenzie: Five signs you’re about to be attacked
Whenever we work with ransomware victims, we spend some time looking back through our telemetry records that span the previous…
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COLUMNS
[Column] Chester Wisniewski: Why ransomware is just not a passing fad
We are only 5 weeks away from the anniversary of the birth of modern ransomware, Sept. 5, 2013. I mark…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos: Be wary of ProLock ransomware and its faulty decryptor
Sophos has warned business to be wary of ProLock, a quirky, destructive ransomware with troubling aftershocks. SophosLabs has provided an…
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CYBER SECURITY
More than one billion Android devices at risk of hacking attacks
Security updates in the android smartphone world are quite limited. Most smartphone companies have rarely been updating their devices once…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos 2020 Threat Report: Cyber criminals are exploiting malicious Android apps, misconfigured cloud platforms and machine language as attack avenues
Sophos 2020 Threat Report shows how cyber attackers are raising the stakes in ransomware, increasing stealth in malicious Android apps,…
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CYBER SECURITY
Growth in Fintech drives growth in cyberattacks, Kaspersky
Africa’s Fintech sector is booming! According to reports, Africa’s Fintech ecosystem has surged 60% in the last two years and the…
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CYBER SECURITY
IT Managers are overwhelmed with Cyberattacks and Struggling to Keep Up, Sophos Survey
Sophos today announced the findings of its global survey, The Impossible Puzzle of Cybersecurity, which reveals IT managers are inundated…
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CYBER SECURITY
Matrix Deconstructed: The trend for targeted ransomware continues
Endpoint security leader Sophos has released a new report about a new ransomware family called Matrix. The malware has been operating…
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CYBER SECURITY
SamSam: The new ransomware that has raised ransom demands of almost $6 million
Network and endpoint security leader Sophos has uncovered a new ransomware which it claims has raised vastly more ransom demands…
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CYBER SECURITY
Porn on the move: In 2017, over 25% of users hit by mobile malware faced porn-themed attacks
In 2017, 25.4% of mobile users who encountered malware – over 1.2 million people – were attacked by malicious programs…
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CYBER SECURITY
Opinion: Preparation is key when defending against DDoS attacks
By Bryan Hamman, Arbor Networks territory manager for Sub-Saharan Africa If you are well prepared with your security systems –…
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News
“No Platform Immune from Ransomware”, SophosLabs 2018 Malware Forecast report reveals
Sophos today announced its SophosLabs 2018 Malware Forecast report. The report recaps ransomware and other cybersecurity trends based on data…
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CYBER SECURITY
“Beware of BadRabbit” Sophos warns against new ransomware strain
Network and endpoint security leader Sophos has warned against a new ransomware strain known as BadRabbit targeting consumers and businesses. BadRabbit is among the…
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CYBER SECURITY
3 differences between Petya and WannaCry Ransomware
How the cyberattacks differ and what it means for ransomware security The world has recently come under attack from not…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos warns internet users against Petya Ransomware outbreak
Many any organizations in Europe and the US were last week crippled by yet another ransomware attack known as “Petya”.…
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CYBER SECURITY
Infographic: Understanding the WannaCry Ransomware
It is the name for a prolific hacking attack and known to be “Ransomware”, that holds your laptop surety till…
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CYBER SECURITY
Uiwix Ransomware Ain’t a New Version of WannaCry!
Chinese government authorities have warned against a new ransomware named “Uiwix”, which is tested in the wild. This new ransomware…
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CYBER SECURITY
Sophos says its XG firewall is secure from WannaCry Ransomware
Security firm Sophos has issued a detection update for its customers after the WannaCry ransomware attack last week on Friday.…
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CYBER SECURITY
Guest Post: Ransomware – Should you pay?
Ransomware, a form of extortion malware is often disguised as innocuous emails, links or pop-ups, thereby easily hoodwinking gullible users to…
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CYBER SECURITY
One Cryptomalware attack cost Small Medium Businesses up to $99K in 2015
One cryptomalware attack cost small and medium businesses up to $99,000 on average last year, a global research, Corporate IT…
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CYBER SECURITY
Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware Tool available free of charge for businesses
Kaspersky Lab has launched Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business – a free software that offers complementary security to protect corporate…
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News
Law Enforcement and IT Security companies join forces to fight Ransomware
The Dutch National Police, Europol, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab have launched an online portal aimed at informing the public…
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News
Report: Over 70 per cent of Kenyan businesses exposed to cybercrime attacks
A new report by Cyber Security consulting firm Serianu in partnership with PKF consulting and USIU Africa has revealed that…
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CYBER SECURITY
Cisco 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report: Organisations now investing in Machine Learning and AI to defend against threats
Security leaders are increasingly relying on tools that use AI and machine learning to defend against cybersecurity threats. This is…
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CYBER SECURITY
ESET supports call for standardized cybersecurity breach reporting
Internet security company ESET East Africa has added its voice to the call for legislation to compel organizations to share…
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News
INTERPOL cybercrime report says AI drives 55% of cybercrime in Africa
Artificial intelligence now plays a role in 55 percent of reported cybercrime across Africa, according to the INTERPOL African Cyberthreat…
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News
How to Build a Layered Cybersecurity Strategy Without an Enterprise Budget
Many small business owners assume stronger cybersecurity means buying more software. In reality, a layered cybersecurity strategy for small businesses…
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CYBER SECURITY
The Real Reason Small Businesses Keep Getting Targeted Online
Large corporations often dominate headlines when they suffer a cyberattack, creating the impression that cybercriminals are only interested in organisations…
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News
Africa Remains at the Centre of INTERPOL’s Online Fraud Investigations
INTERPOL Operation First Light 2026 has become one of the largest coordinated anti-fraud operations ever announced, with authorities arresting 5,811…
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News
Finding Focus: A Strategic Approach to Cybersecurity for Small and Medium Companies
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) hold valuable data, serve as entry points into larger supply chains and often lack the…
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News
Why Cloud Managed Security Is Changing Africa’s Digital Economy
Africa’s digital economy is expanding at a remarkable pace with mobile money platforms processing billions of dollars in transaction, businesses…
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News
The Cybersecurity Gap Many Small Businesses Discover Too Late
For many small businesses, installing antivirus software has long been considered enough to keep company computers safe. That approach made…
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