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Remember the ransomware WannaCry that hit the globe last month? Well, a new ransomware has yet again hit several countries, locking up computer screens of as many as 20 companies across the world. <keyword id="4701507" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Petwrap">Petwrap</keyword>, dubbed as an advanced version of ransomware <keyword id="3305248" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="petya">Petya</keyword>, has targeted users across India and Europe and shipping, aviation and oil and gas companies have been hit in the UK, Russia, France, Spain and elsewhere. Petwrap is believed to be asking for $300 to free up the locked computer screens. Mondelez, Merck and Maersk were targeted by the ransomware. As per several reports, Indian units of UK and Russia-based oil and gas, energy and aviation companies were also hit. A Mondelez International spokesperson said, "The network is experiencing global IT outage. Our team is working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible." Meanwhile, Neeraj Bansal, deputy chairman of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust said the operations at Gateway Terminals India, operated by Maersk Group-owned APM Terminals at the Mumbai-based port, has been impacted. "They are trying to do what they can manually. They have told us assessing the situation and trying to find a solution as soon as they can," Bansal told ET.

New ransomware, Petwrap, hits India, other countries; Indian shipping hub impacted

Now your office, organisation, institution is already doing what it needs to in order to keep themselves safe from one of the biggest <keyword id="6362094" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ransomware">ransomware</keyword> Cyber Attacks and an attack of this mammoth size should act as a reminder for personal users like you and I to prepare for personal ransomware attacks. 
 Just so that you know, the new ransomware, named as “WannaCry”, is a malware that encrypts contents on infected <keyword id="6354717" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Windows">Windows</keyword> systems and demands payment in bitcoins for amount ranging from $300 to $600 to release your data. It has already spread across over 100 countries affecting Hospitals in England, Interior Ministry in Russia, Germany train station, Fedex USA and Academic Institutes in China. And India is one of the key targets. Anand Ramamoorthy, Managing Director, India &amp; SAARC, McAfee says, “The <keyword id="6362093" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="wannacry">WannaCry</keyword> attacks is perhaps one of the largest and most widespread ransomware attack in recent history, with India being a prime target. The most affected were those, who were running old and unpatched software, which threatens more than just data of the consumers. Hackers could even use the promise of a WannaCrypt fix as bait for further infections, hence users have to be extremely skeptical. 
 Since this ransomware only attacks Windows System, first and foremost in order to prevent infection you need to apply patches to Windows systems as mentioned in <keyword id="10387" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword> Security Bulletin MS17-010. 
 
So once you have done that here are the three key rules to keeping safe online 
 
1. Back up your files 
 
Always make sure your files are backed up. That way, if they become compromised in a ransomware attack, you can wipe your disk drive clean and restore the data from the backup. 
 
2. Update your devices 
 
There are a few lessons to take away from WannaCry, but making sure your operating system is up-to-date needs to be near the top of the list. The reason is simple: nearly every software update contains security improvements that help secure your computer and removes the means for ransomware variants to infect a device. 
 
3. Faith in Cloud 
 
Using cloud storage with anti-virus scanning abilities to share files will help users to mitigate any possible threats.” 
 And apart from these three key rules that will keep you safe from a <keyword id="108450" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyber-attack">cyber attack</keyword> here’s a detailed list of best practices from CERT-In (National Nodal Agency for responding to computer security incidents) to prevent Ransomeware attacks. 
 
• Perform regular backups of all critical information to limit the impact of data or system loss and to help expedite the recovery process. Ideally, this data should be kept on a separate device, and backups should be stored offline. 
• Establish a Sender Policy Framework (SPF),Domain Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC), and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) for your domain, which is an email validation system designed to prevent spam by detecting email spoofing by which most of the ransomware samples successfully reaches the corporate email boxes. 
• Don't open attachments in unsolicited e-mails, even if they come from people in your contact list, and never click on a URL contained in an unsolicited e-mail, even if the link seems benign. In cases of genuine URLs close out the e-mail and go to the organization's website directly through browser 
• Restrict execution of powershell /WSCRIPT in enterprise environment Ensure installation and use of the latest version (currently v5.0) of PowerShell, with enhanced logging enabled. script block logging, and transcription enabled. Send the associated logs to a centralized log repository for monitoring and analysis. 
• Application whitelisting/Strict implementation of Software Restriction Policies (SRP) to block binaries running from %APPDATA%, %PROGRAMDATA% and %TEMP% paths. Ransomware sample drops and executes generally from these locations. Enforce application whitelisting on all endpoint workstations. 
• Deploy web and email filters on the network. Configure these devices to scan for known bad domains, sources, and addresses; block these before receiving and downloading messages. Scan all emails, attachments, and downloads both on the host and at the mail gateway with a reputable antivirus solution. 
• Disable macros in Microsoft Office products. Some Office products allow for the disabling of macros that originate from outside of an organization and can provide a hybrid approach when the organization depends on the legitimate use of macros. For Windows, specific settings can block macros originating from the Internet from running. 
• Configure access controls including file, directory, and network share permissions with least privilege in mind. If a user only needs to read specific files, they should not have write access to those files, directories, or shares. 
• Maintain updated Antivirus software on all systems 
• Consider installing Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit, or similar host-level anti-exploitation tools. 
• Block the attachments of file types, exe|pif|tmp|url|vb|vbe|scr|reg|cer|pst|cmd|com|bat|dll|dat|hlp|hta|js|wsf 
• Regularly check the contents of backup files of databases for any unauthorized encrypted contents of data records or external elements, (backdoors /malicious scripts.) 
• Keep the operating system third party applications (MS office, browsers, browser Plugins) up-to-date with the latest patches. 
• Follow safe practices when browsing the web. Ensure the web browsers are secured enough with appropriate content controls. 
• Network segmentation and segregation into security zones - help protect sensitive information and critical services. Separate administrative network from business processes with physical controls and Virtual Local Area Networks. 
• Disable remote Desktop Connections, employ least-privileged accounts. 
• Ensure integrity of the codes /scripts being used in database, authentication and sensitive systems, Check regularly for the integrity of the information stored in the databases. 
• Restrict users' abilities (permissions) to install and run unwanted software applications. 
• Enable personal firewalls on workstations. 
• Implement strict External Device (USB drive) usage policy. 
• Employ data-at-rest and data-in-transit encryption. 
• Carry out vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) and information security audit of critical networks/systems, especially database servers from CERT-IN empaneled auditors. Repeat audits at regular intervals. 
• Individuals or organizations are not encouraged to pay the ransom, as this does not guarantee files will be released. Report such instances of fraud to CERT-In and Law Enforcement agencies

Here’s how you can secure yourself from personal ransomware attacks

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Friday's <keyword id="1898030" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="darkside">DarkSide</keyword> attack took down a major oil pipeline that supplies the US East Coast.</li><li>A cybersecurity expert said such <keyword id="6362094" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ransomware">ransomware</keyword> attacks tend to target municipal governments.</li><li>The expert's kids were out of school for four days last year after Baltimore's school system was hacked.</li></ul>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pipeline-cyber-attack-darkside-hacker-group-shutdown-ransomware-money-politics-oil-2021-5">hacking of a major US oil pipeline Friday</a> is the latest in a string of cyberattacks under federal investigation.The stories read like movie loglines: A reportedly Russia-backed group <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solarwinds-hack-explained-government-agencies-cyber-security-2020-12">slowly burrowed its way into US digital infrastructure</a>, gaining access to important government accounts. An unknown cyber-assailant <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hacker-tried-to-poison-water-supply-in-oldsmar-florida-2021-2">tried to poison a Florida town's water supply</a>. And now, a group of veteran cybercriminals <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pipeline-cyber-attack-darkside-hacker-group-shutdown-ransomware-money-politics-oil-2021-5">took down an East Coast oil pipeline and held it ransom</a>.Ransomware attacks are common and are the cyberattack with the most potential to wreak havoc on everyday life, according to Ben Miller, an executive at the industrial cybersecurity firm Dragos Inc.Miller had firsthand experience with a ransomeware attack in November, when <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-baltimore-county-schools-ransomware-20201130-20201130-7cymrekdpfhyjccotvyzrn6amq-story.html">hackers took over Baltimore's school system</a> and forced it to shut down for four days."My kids didn't have any snow days this year because they had school from home," Miller told Insider. "They had ransomware days."There are two major types of cyberattacks, according to Miller: attacks like the one on US information <keyword id="6355118" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="technology">technology</keyword> firm <keyword id="609247" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="SolarWinds">SolarWinds</keyword>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-intelligence-agencies-solarwinds-hack-was-likely-russian-in-nature-2021-1">which US intelligence agencies say Russia was behind,</a> that seek some kind of geopolitical advantage. Then there is smaller-scale ransomware, where - normally private actors that may or may not work with tacit government permission - go after companies and other institutions and then extort them to ease up on the attack.The DarkSide attack against the <keyword id="1968507" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Colonial-Pipeline">Colonial Pipeline</keyword> was a <keyword id="6465154" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ransomware-attack">ransomware attack</keyword>. The hacking group <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pipeline-cyber-attack-darkside-hacker-group-shutdown-ransomware-money-politics-oil-2021-5">shut down a major pipeline</a> that runs from Texas to New York, demanding money in order to restore its service in what Miller said was an example of how cyberattacks are increasingly affecting the "real world."Some of the most common targets of ransomware are municipal governments that are "under-resourced and under-managed" when it comes to cybersecurity, Miller said. Several other school systems in the US <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/parents-end-chain-ransomware-hit-rcna646">were hit by ransomware attacks in the past year</a>. In April, the Justice Department <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ransomware-targeted-by-new-justice-department-task-force-11619014158">announced a new task force</a> to address ransomware attacks across the US. Ransomware gangs also go after hospitals, as in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/03/wannacry-hackers-withdraw-108000-pounds-bitcoin-ransom">the 2017 Wannacry hack</a> that shut down parts of Britain's National Health Service.The hackers typically want to cause as much pain as possible so that they can get paid quickly, Miller said, making critical infrastructure an appealing target."When they can have a direct impact on their business - like shutting down a pipeline or impact to some facility - it does ring a chord with the victims and how they respond to that," Miller said.Miller said cyberattacks are so commonly directed at US companies because they're wealthy enough to pay off ransomware attackers. Ransomware hacking groups view themselves as businesses, he said, and target companies and institutions in countries where they're likely to make money: The United States, Britain, and Germany."The industry in the US would be more likely to pay an extortion of a couple of hundred thousand dollars or whatever," Miller said. "Not to say that they should, or do - but they're perceived that way, compared to firms in South America or Africa where that would literally, in many cases, put these firms out of business."

Ransomware attacks hit 'under-resourced' city governments hardest, says cybersecurity expert whose kids' school was shut down by hackers for 4 days

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New ransomware, Petwrap, hits India, other countries; Indian shipping hub impacted

BI India Bureau

Here’s how you can secure yourself from personal ransomware attacks

Nazia Bijal

Ransomware attacks hit 'under-resourced' city governments hardest, says cybersecurity expert whose kids' school was shut down by hackers for 4 days

Jacob Shamsian

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