Ransomware attacks rise but reseachers prove hackers aren't all genuises

But what hackers don't bet on is savvy cybersecurity professionals coming across rookie mistakes in the malware code that lets them reverse the encryption without paying a dime to the assailant

Dealing with the WannaCry ransomware attack
Premium

Unlike other cyber nuisances, such as viruses, which replicate and cause mayhem, or denial of service attacks, which bring networks to a grinding halt, ransomware is almost impossible to unwind once it’s been deployed successfully

Tim Culpan | Bloomberg
For more than two decades, ransomware attacks have been the bane of corporate IT managers and their CEOs, and a source of much research for cybersecurity professionals. An underground market for hacking and encryption tools has helped such incursions proliferate, but thankfully a recent case shows what we can learn when attackers don’t know what they’re doing. 
 
Unlike other cyber nuisances, such as viruses, which replicate and cause mayhem, or denial of service attacks, which bring networks to a grinding halt, ransomware is almost impossible to unwind once it’s been deployed successfully. That’s because they use encryption to lock up the files, with a secret decryption key being the only route out. 

ALSO READ - Ransomware attacks

First Published: Jun 20 2022 | 09:53 AM IST

Explore News

To read the full story, subscribe to BS Premium now, at just Rs 249/ month.

Key stories on business-standard.com are available only to BS Premium subscribers.

Register to read more on Business-Standard.com