Large companies are becoming targets of ransomware, the creators of which demand a ransom in bitcoins to unlock access to operating systems and data.
The hackers behind the program target Windows and Linux computers and use ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS). Over the course of a year, Akira hackers stole $42 million from more than 250 organizations in North America, Europe and Australia.
Singapore authorities have advised local firms not to transfer cryptocurrencies to hackers, as this will not guarantee that attackers will regain control of the data and will not publish compromised information. Moreover, attackers may try to carry out another attack in the hope of receiving an even larger ransom.
Organizations in the city-state are strongly recommended to take measures to strengthen security: enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) and system encryption, filter network traffic, and disable unused ports and hyperlinks.
Recently, the Singaporean law firm Shook Lin & Bok became a victim of Akira hackers, which agreed to pay $1.4 million in bitcoins to regain access to the document management system.
Source: Bits
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