Ransomware has come a long way since the days of simplistic “encrypt and pay me” attacks. As much as I wish we could go back to fighting those unsophisticated criminals, ransomware has unfortunately matured in recent years. Attackers have realized that while encryption can be an annoyance, extortion is where the real money is made.
Modern ransomware combines data encryption with brazen data theft and threats to expose your organization’s crown jewels. This “extortionware 2.0,” as I’ve taken to calling it, is ransomware, plus a heaping helping of outright extortion. Just restoring encrypted data is no longer enough when your sensitive trade secrets or reputation-ruining data is already in the hands of cyber criminals.
