The leading European biomolecular research institute associated with COVID-19 research encountered a huge data loss after the Ryuk ransomware attack. The genesis of the attack is traced back to one of the research students trying to buy a pirate version of expensive data visualization software.
The rapid force team of the firm responded immediately and tried to combat the loss and clear the commotion around.
“Human are subjected to mistakes, but having security measures in the first place would have saved us from the lackadaisical attitude of the student and helped us mitigate the risk associated with the attack,” said the research institute.
Security professionals worldwide have warned against buying pirated versions because they are illegal and the main source for malware attacks.
Ransomware attacks are a matter of concern.
It isn’t the first time we are witnessing something huge; if we look at the past trends, we’ll find similar attacks like STOP, Excorcist, crypto-mining, etc.
The attack might have raised alarm for internetprivatsphare, but it’s time to comprehend the intensity of these attacks that there is no qualm of attacking healthcare organizations even during the global pandemic. The hackers are becoming more vicious, and the extremity of these attacks has increased with the evolvement of technology. This raises a serious alarm and leaves us with a rhetorical answer to “when is this stopping.”
A malicious deal that leads to this attack
The rapid response team of the firm stated that the primary source of hackers to enter was through a student’s credentials. The company said they work with several university students who help them with the research work, and each student has a unique login ID and password.
The security team of the firm analyzed that the student was looking to purchase a copy of the data virtualization tool, which was already being used. The license would have otherwise hundred of dollars; hence he thought the better alternative was to get a cracked version.
However, instead of receiving the desired software, he granted access to a malware file that went to work logging keystrokes; accessed the browser, cookie and clipboard data; and more.
Timely action would have prevented this.
There’s always a potential for human error. Unfortunately, the cyberattacks are thriving; users are tricked into opening phishing emails, buying cracked versions, getting free apps, etc. The company would have prevented it by investing in building a more secure ecosystem, installing two-step authentication, and user training.
