UK, US, Australia issue joint advisory: Ransomware on the loose, critical national infrastructure affected
(2022/02/09)
- Reference: 1644424084
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/02/09/uk_us_au_ransomware_warning/
- Source link:
Ransomware attacks are proliferating as criminals turn to gangs providing turnkey post-compromise services, Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned.
In a joint UK-US-Australia advisory issued this afternoon, the three countries said they had "observed an increase in sophisticated, high-impact ransomware incidents against critical infrastructure organizations globally."
The warning comes hot on the heels of several high-profile attacks against [1]oil distribution companies and also businesses that operate ports in the West – though today's note insists there was a move by criminals away from "big game hunting" against US targets.
[2]
Among the main threats facing Western organisations were the use of "cybercriminal services-for-hire". These, as detailed in the advisory, include "independent services to negotiate payments, assist victims with making payments, and arbitrate payment disputes between themselves and other cyber criminals."
[3]
[4]
Payment is what it's all about and the advisory condemned the paying of ransoms, saying: "Every time a ransom is paid, it confirms the viability and financial attractiveness of the ransomware criminal business model."
[5]Cyberattacker hits German fuel logistics firm
[6]Canadian Netwalker ransomware crook pleads guilty to million-dollar crimes
[7]Vice Society said to be behind digital break-in at UK umbrella and accounting group
[8]Nothing to scoff at: Crisps and nuts biz KP Snacks smacked in ransomware hack attack
The NCSC told The Register today's warning was not linked to a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the advisory adding that the shift away from the US by criminals hasn't really affected Britain: organisations of all sizes are still in the firing line – even those [9]making the nation's favourite snacks .
Common routes into an organisation's IT infrastructure for a ransomware attack range from compromise of cloud applications and storage (including attacks leveraging improperly secured APIs), to supply chain attacks such as those directed [10]against upstream MSPs , and the age-old tactic of attacking on a weekend or holiday.
The full note is [11]on the NCSC website .
[12]
Many ransomware gangs are believed to be based in Russia and the country has a storied history of [13]state-directed cyber attacks against the West .
According to ESET's latest [14]Threat Report , out today, ransomware attacks "surpassed the worst expectations of 2021" and in the first half of the year alone companies across the globe collectively paid out some $5bn in bitcon to make the bad things stop. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/01/oiltrading/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YgPzOSCpfzDI5TQPMJiyKwAAABU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YgPzOSCpfzDI5TQPMJiyKwAAABU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YgPzOSCpfzDI5TQPMJiyKwAAABU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/01/oiltrading/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/08/netwalker_ransomware_jailed/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/08/optionis_vice_society/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/03/kp_snacks_ransomware_infection/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/03/kp_snacks_ransomware_infection/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/08/kaseya_dutch_vulnerability/
[11] https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/joint-advisory-highlights-increased-globalised-threat-of-ransomware
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YgPzOSCpfzDI5TQPMJiyKwAAABU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/14/g7_ransomware_communique_calls_out_russia/
[14] https://www.welivesecurity.com/2021/02/08/eset-threat-report-q42020/
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
In a joint UK-US-Australia advisory issued this afternoon, the three countries said they had "observed an increase in sophisticated, high-impact ransomware incidents against critical infrastructure organizations globally."
The warning comes hot on the heels of several high-profile attacks against [1]oil distribution companies and also businesses that operate ports in the West – though today's note insists there was a move by criminals away from "big game hunting" against US targets.
[2]
Among the main threats facing Western organisations were the use of "cybercriminal services-for-hire". These, as detailed in the advisory, include "independent services to negotiate payments, assist victims with making payments, and arbitrate payment disputes between themselves and other cyber criminals."
[3]
[4]
Payment is what it's all about and the advisory condemned the paying of ransoms, saying: "Every time a ransom is paid, it confirms the viability and financial attractiveness of the ransomware criminal business model."
[5]Cyberattacker hits German fuel logistics firm
[6]Canadian Netwalker ransomware crook pleads guilty to million-dollar crimes
[7]Vice Society said to be behind digital break-in at UK umbrella and accounting group
[8]Nothing to scoff at: Crisps and nuts biz KP Snacks smacked in ransomware hack attack
The NCSC told The Register today's warning was not linked to a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the advisory adding that the shift away from the US by criminals hasn't really affected Britain: organisations of all sizes are still in the firing line – even those [9]making the nation's favourite snacks .
Common routes into an organisation's IT infrastructure for a ransomware attack range from compromise of cloud applications and storage (including attacks leveraging improperly secured APIs), to supply chain attacks such as those directed [10]against upstream MSPs , and the age-old tactic of attacking on a weekend or holiday.
The full note is [11]on the NCSC website .
[12]
Many ransomware gangs are believed to be based in Russia and the country has a storied history of [13]state-directed cyber attacks against the West .
According to ESET's latest [14]Threat Report , out today, ransomware attacks "surpassed the worst expectations of 2021" and in the first half of the year alone companies across the globe collectively paid out some $5bn in bitcon to make the bad things stop. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/01/oiltrading/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YgPzOSCpfzDI5TQPMJiyKwAAABU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YgPzOSCpfzDI5TQPMJiyKwAAABU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YgPzOSCpfzDI5TQPMJiyKwAAABU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/01/oiltrading/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/08/netwalker_ransomware_jailed/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/08/optionis_vice_society/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/03/kp_snacks_ransomware_infection/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/03/kp_snacks_ransomware_infection/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/08/kaseya_dutch_vulnerability/
[11] https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/joint-advisory-highlights-increased-globalised-threat-of-ransomware
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YgPzOSCpfzDI5TQPMJiyKwAAABU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/14/g7_ransomware_communique_calls_out_russia/
[14] https://www.welivesecurity.com/2021/02/08/eset-threat-report-q42020/
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/