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The Daily Signal
Hackers Are Now
Locking Computers for Ransom
Evan McDermott & David Inserra
March 30, 2016
At this moment, someone’s computer and personal data are being held
hostage. Many have recently become victims of the cyber-tactic known as
ransomware, including hospitals, schools, police departments,
government agencies, and private citizens.
Ransomware is a type of malware that infects a computer hard drive or
server and locks down or encrypts the information stored on that
particular device. The virus then demands that its victim pay a
relatively small fee in exchange for unlocking or decrypting the
information.
Many have been victimized due to recent public demand for
interconnectivity among devices and the increased number of these
devices, which create potential ransomware targets. The low level of
expertise required to perpetrate these attacks means they are even more
prevalent.
The proliferation of ransomware on the internet is another example of
how the cyber-threats can have impact in the physical world.
For example, in early February, the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical
Center was hit by a ransomware attack that shut down its communication
systems for ten days. This particular scenario presents a dilemma with
regard to dealing with ransomware attacks. Given that lives are on the
line when the hospital’s system was locked down, the hospital had
limited choices. It cannot waste valuable time safely removing the
virus, so it is often forced to bite the bullet and pay the ransom in
the name of its patients. A proliferation of these dangerous attacks
warrants finding solutions to halting them.
Successful ransomware attacks often depend on exploiting the human
element by fooling users into clicking on or opening a malicious link
or attachment. Consequently, individuals and organizations of all
stripes should improve their own “cyber-hygiene” practices in order to
deny hackers’ success from the get-go. For example, only a quarter of
U.S. households currently back up their data on a regular basis.
Individuals and organizations should take preventative steps to ensure
that backups are up to date to protect against ransomware attacks.
Information sharing can also benefit cyber-security efforts with regard
to preventing and mitigating these attacks. Sharing information about
pre-emptive practices could thwart malware attacks before they have
even a chance to occur. Alternatively, there are known solutions to
safely removing certain types of ransomware viruses after they have
infected a system; sharing information on these solutions could
mitigate the harm caused to the targets of ransomware.
Improving U.S. cyber-security is important for preserving U.S. critical
infrastructure, online freedom, and economic growth. Ransomware might
be the newest threat, but it will not be the last.
Read this and other articles at The Daily Signal
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