Ransomware Rises to ‘Epidemic’ Levels: Kaspersky Report

The number of computer users affected by all types of ransomware in the past year grew 17.7 percent over the previous year, up to 2,315,931 users, according to a recent report from Kaspersky Labs, which stated that ransomware has now reached “epidemic” proportions.

“The biggest problem with crypto-ransomware today is that sometimes the only way to get the encrypted data back is to pay the criminals, and victims tend to pay. That brings a lot of money into the underground ecosystem that has grown up around this malware, and as a result we are seeing new cryptors appear almost daily,” said Fedor Sinitsyn, senior malware analyst at Kaspersky Lab.

Read more at http://www.advisenltd.com/2016/06/28/ransomware-rises-to-epidemic-levels-kaspersky-report/

Erin Ayers, Ransomware rises to ‘epidemic’ levels: Kaspersky report (June 28, 2016), available with subscription at Advisen Cyber Front Page News.

Cybercriminals Stole More Than Data in 2015: Kaspersky Report

Mobile devices and financial institutions became primary targets for cybercriminals to steal money directly from individuals in 2015, according to a new report from Kaspersky Labs, which took a look at the type of cyber events that occurred most frequently this year and made predictions for the future.

While data breaches at large retailers seem to grab headlines and prompt litigation, Kaspersky found that targeted advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks against banks, government agencies, and other high-profile organizations rose in 2015. Not content to steal names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and other personally identifiable information, criminals interested in money and state secrets more assertively entered the cyber fray this year.

Read more at http://www.advisenltd.com/2016/01/12/cybercriminals-stole-more-than-data-in-2015-kaspersky-report/

Ayers, Erin. “Cybercriminals stole more than data in 2015: Kaspersky report.” Advisen. Advisen Store, 12 January 2016. Web. 20 January 2016.