Ransomware
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News
Kenyan Firms Are Losing Millions to Digital Extortion
For a growing number of companies, the working day begins with a familiar ritual. Systems boot up, dashboards load, emails…
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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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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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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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News
Sophos and Halcyon Announce New Intelligence-Sharing and Mutual Anti-Tamper Protection Initiative
Cybersecurity firm Sophos has announced a strategic partnership with Halcyon, a leading provider of anti-ransomware solutions, for threat intelligence sharing.…
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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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COLUMNS
Vinay Hirallal: From Vulnerable to Vigilant – Embedding Threat Resilience to Your Organization
With the continent’s rapid digital transformation, African businesses are being exposed to increasingly complex cyber threats. As their digital footprint…
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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
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
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
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
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
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
Education Sector Suffers Highest Data Encryption Rate and Longest Recovery Time, Sophos report
Sophos has published a new sectoral survey report, The State of Ransomware in Education 2022. The findings reveal that education institutions…
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COLUMNS
Quentyn Taylor: 2022 and the evolving threat landscape
Ransomware is here to stay Cyber criminals are adapting every single day. In 2021, hackers realised the recipe for ransomware…
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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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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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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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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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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
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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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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CYBER SECURITY
[Column] Peter Mackenzie: Top 10 security misconceptions
The Sophos Rapid Response team has compiled a list of the most commonly held security misconceptions they’ve encountered in the last…
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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
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
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 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
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
[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
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
Report: WannaCry is still alive hitting almost 75,000 users in Q3 2018
One and a half years after its epidemic, WannaCry ransomware tops the list of the most widespread cryptor families and…
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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
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
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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News
Infographic: Security Mindsets to Adopt Today
Threats to business security are a never-ending story. From basic data breaches to ransomware, hackers are always finding new ways…
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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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