WannaCry and the Evolution of Ransomware

The FBI estimates that $209M was paid to ransomware criminals in the first quarter of 2016 alone. In 2017, ransomware is only growing in sophistication. Consider the WannaCry outbreak, a large-scale ransomware attack that is reported to have hit at least 150 countries, and infected 230,000 machines to date. This worldwide security incident is unprecedented in its disruption of large institutions such as Spain's Telefónica and the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS). It is also the first ransomware to incorporate worm functionality. The infection of one computer can ultimately lead to the infection of an entire network, without the need for additional users to click on malicious links or attachments. In this episode, host Cherie Caswell Dost speaks with Bryan Fischer, senior director, Forsythe Security Professional Services, about the evolution of ransomware and how organizations can take proactive steps towards maturing their security capabilities. Listen to the latest episode of And There You Have IT to learn: How ransomware is getting smarter and more automated. Proactive steps your organization can take. Why your ability to recover from ransomware attacks rests in your backups. How ransomware has become a business. The new meaning of “defense-in-depth” when it comes to IT security. Top 5 Cyber Security Predictions for 2017 – The security threat landscape continues to change and present new challenges. Here are five predictions for 2017 that are worth preparing for. 10 Keys to Data-Centric Security – Learn how organizations can advance their security by focusing on “crown jewel” data. Forsythe Technology - For more than 40 years, Forsythe has helped companies succeed by working to optimize, modernize, and innovate enterprise IT. We develop solutions that make practical business sense from idea to implementation. We help champion innovation and deliver bottom-line results. We serve as the bridge, moving you from traditional to new IT. Whatever your business needs, we make it happen.