Cybersecurity careers - Fighting back against ransomware attacks in the U.S.

Ransomware is becoming an essential industry to protect companies, 政府组织, 个人免受网络安全攻击. 在过去的一年, cyberattacks on companies' network data have increased nearly 80 percent, 安全软件公司, 像Rubrik公司., stress now more than ever the need for data protection.  

Ron Minto, ITS '98 graduate and leader of sales engineer at Rubrik公司. 与大学合作, 大型企业, 医院系统, and manufacturing companies that are looking to secure their data and networks. 在销售Rubrik的安全软件时, Minto explains the intricate details of what security software systems do to protect data and make sure what customers are looking for is what Rubrik can offer.

当使用勒索软件攻击网络时, hackers attempt to access private credentials by encrypting data, 通常是企业数据, and locking files so companies cannot access their own databases, 财务信息, 或者医疗记录. Hackers work to lock databases with encryption keys to block companies from accessing their files. Hackers send ransom notes to companies after encrypting data, 他们要求几十万, 甚至数百万美元, worth of Bitcoin from companies to reattain their data.

最重要的是, 如果黑客没有收到赎金, they will keep the data forever and it will be completely gone, 导致公司丢失重要信息. 如果黑客收到赎金, hackers give companies the key to decrypt the code and access data once again, unless hackers want more money in which they use double extortion. 在这种情况下, hackers not only request a ransom for access to the data, but they higher the ransom and threaten to leak information on the internet. For companies with specific data that they do not want to reach the general public, 比如新产品的计划, 个人医疗记录, 或者私人谈话, 双重敲诈可能是有害的.

Ransom attacks come from countries that do not have the regulatory and legal systems that the U.S. has, which makes it nearly impossible to request governments to step in. This is prominent in 东部 European countries, 比如捷克共和国, 爱沙尼亚, 乌克兰和俄罗斯等更大的国家. In 2016, Russian hackers encrypted and leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee, revealing private conversations and plans regarding the upcoming election.

“Some people think that the government of Russia actually did it,明托说。. “Other people think it's just some hacking organization that isn't actually technically part of the Russian government, but the Russian government knows what they do and is totally fine with it.”

As hackers continue to use 网络安全 attacks for personal profit, 一些国家的政府, 没有什么规定, 也能从中受益吗.  

“[Ransomware] has actually become a cottage industry where there are companies out there that do this for personal profit… [which] allows them to operate with tacit approval,明托说。. “It's kind of like [governments] pretend like they don't know what is going on, but they'll still take cuts of the ransoms that [hackers] get.”

Dark web 网络安全 resourcing also allows hackers to essentially use private contracting to gain access to data that is difficult to encrypt. 他们在暗网上寻找工具, 由私人机构出售, 帮助他们进入, encrypt and collect money from companies they are hacking.

The increasing number of ransom attacks on enterprises and 政府组织 poses a threat to national security. 2021年5月, hackers used the dark web to encrypt Colonial Pipeline’s data network causing gasoline disruptions across the East Coast. This left individuals and companies across the coast without gasoline, unable to conduct trade.

“If [hackers] are attacking our commerce in a similar way [to terrorism] that is not violence, 这要花费数百万美元, 这也是对国家安全的威胁,明托说。. “If [hackers] can stop fossil fuels, then [they] can stop an economy. 所以，想象一下他们还能做什么.”

Rubrik公司. sells software that provides the last line of protection to protect companies against ransomware attacks. 在Colonial Pipeline的案例中, they did not have security software to protect themselves from attacks before the 2021 attack so nothing could be done to recover the data. 该公司被迫支付了4美元.400万赎金, and Colonial Pipeline then decided to purchase millions of dollars of Rubrik software to protect from attacks in the future.

黑客进入美国的能力.S. companies’ data networks has increased throughout the pandemic as employees were required to work from home. 数据中心没有员工在场, hackers had more time to encrypt companies’ data before people could physically pull the plug on data centers.  

“Not only do [hackers] slow down IT organizations’ ability to protect against [ransom attacks], but they are also taking advantage of the fact that people are working from home and there are distractions,明托说。.

Rubrik and many other software companies have been placing even more security measures for their own employees that protect themselves from hackers. Security measures like third-party verification apps, 始终使用最新的操作系统, 多重和双因素身份验证, and one-time passwords are all steps companies and individuals can make to protect themselves from ransom attacks.

The 麦克卢尔学校 of Emerging Communication Technologies strives to offer the best academic programs in the IT(资讯科技)，游戏开发和 虚拟现实/增强现实 (VR / AR)行业. Our programs and certificates cover numerous aspects of the rapidly changing industries of information networking, 网络安全、资料私隐; 游戏开发，数字动画和学术方面 的电子竞技.