Further Ransomware attacks are successful – The BSI issues a warning message!

M.Sc. Chris Wojzechowski

Further Ransomware attacks are successful – The BSI issues a warning message!

As we already reported in March, current ransomware attacks generate considerable damage. A Swiss manufacturer of airport maintenance and street cleaning vehicles is currently affected. The number of reports continues to increase, so that the BSI has now issued a warning message.

What is Ransomware?

The term Ransomware is derived from the terms “Ransom” and “Software”. “Ransom” means ransom. This is exactly what the hackers try to achieve by blackmailing the victim with the help of a certain circumstance. This circumstance is most often achieved with the help of a Trojan. E-mails are considered to be a particularly popular means of transport, as it is precisely this means of communication that is used almost everywhere. Industry and size independent. Due to the high number of e-mails and the daily routine, the potential victims regularly follow the links and open the door of the Trojan.

A currently very popular method among hackers is to apply for a public job advertisement from a company and hide a Trojan instead of a CV in the attachment. Once the victim has become infected, the malware downloads additional data in the background. The long-term goal is often the complete encryption of all accessible data, including backups. If all data has been encrypted and no backup is available, many companies have to stop operation prematurely. A similar case has happened to the company Aebi Schmidt.

Aebi Schmidt – If Ransomware attacks are successful!

The leading company from Switzerland had to partially cease operation. The reason for this short-term incident was a ransomware attack affecting the company’s entire international network. These two incidents show that even the monetary power of large companies is not sufficient to provide comprehensive protection against modern attacks and variants of Ransomware. Companies of this size do not fall victim to the attacks – but it takes time. And in the worst case, it can damage their reputation.

The BSI warning message

The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) issued a Warning message on 24.04. It is advised to be careful, especially with regard to emails, as even a contaminated link or Trojan hidden in an email attachment can cause great long-term damage. Emotet is still a problem for many companies. Once a computer has been infected, further malware can be downloaded hidden in the background, so that greater damage can occur in the long term. The system should be completely rebuilt. If you have become a victim of ransomware despite all precautionary measures, the BSI strongly advises against responding to the demands of the attackers.

In order to protect yourself as a company against such attacks, we recommend Awareness training in the form of regular Security Days, information days or workshops. We always recommend to adapt the contents to the target group, so that Ransomware attacks are not so successful in the future!

Photo of author

M.Sc. Chris Wojzechowski

My name is Chris Wojzechowski and I studied my Master in Internet Security in Gelsenkirchen a few years ago. I am one of two managing directors of AWARE7 GmbH and a trained IT Risk Manager, IT-Grundschutz practitioner (TÜV) and possess the test procedure competence for § 8a BSIG. Our bread and butter business is performing penetration testing. We are also committed to promoting a broad understanding of IT security in Europe, which is why we offer the majority of our products free of charge.