The article failed to mention tor. IMPO, tor and cryptocurrency combined are the reason for the explosion of ransomware. Payment websites running as tor location hidden services combined with anon payments (XMR) is hard to beat (when done correctly).
The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
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Re: The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
#52I remember reading about malware like this some time back. I tried everything I could to prepare but got vetoed at every turn by management. My idea was to do "pull" backups to a server, instead of "push" backups to shares, instead my boss's boss bought some commercial backup package that while ok, when it bombed a t-log chain, they blamed microsoft's implementation of native sql server backups, and of course was now…
"Our firewall blocks everything." LOL. Firewalls are security theater.
they added memory after the malware attack so its probably better now.
Re: The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
#53> The singular reason why these attacks are even possible is due entirely to rise of cryptocurrency. And is entirely enabled by this one technology, it could not exist otherwise. Huh, cryptocurrency existed in 1989, when the first ransomware was active? Did the author even google the word "ransomware?" Wire transfers and all types of pre-paid voucher services were used well before cryptocurrencies were even created.
The article directly addresses your point in the paragraph surrounding the sentence you cherry picked.
> Now this is not a new phenomenon by any means. But what is new is that the level of these attacks has gone parabolic in the last few years because of one simple fact. With the addition of bitcoin to the problem it’s insanely profitable, low-risk, and almost the perfect crime. It’s also a very real economic tool that nation states can use to disrupt each other’s infrastructure.
> The singular reason why these attacks are even possible is due entirely to rise of cryptocurrency. Consider the same situation on top of the existing international banking system. Go to your local bank branch and try to wire transfer $200,000 to an anonymous stranger in Russia and see how that works out. Modern ransomware could not exist without Bitcoin, it has poured gasoline on a fire we may not be able to put out.
Re: The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
#54FYI, the author has a huge conflict of interest whenever he writes about cryptocurrency, seeing as he's the founder of Adjoint, Inc, a company which digitizes cash and settlement processes for multinational corporates. So it's easy to see why he hates a technology that renders his entire company useless.
Something that would be relevant. Would love to know who's downvoting you.
Re: The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
#55Are there any active non-Windows ransomware infections going on? I don’t recall seeing any macOS / Linux / Android / iOS attacks.
I’m willing to bet SaaS ransomware will be up next.
Imagine a user is tricked into adding a browser addon (common), and the malicious addon encrypts all the data in a salesforce, Dropbox, and online mail account
Re: The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
#56Why are arguments of this form so pervasive? Cryptocurrency is bad and must be banned because ransomware. Encryption is bad because pedos, let’s ban Tor and Signal. We need a permanent surveillance state and forfeit most of our rights to privacy because terrorists bad, what do you have to hide? Is it an appeal to emotion? Fear?
1- Crypto is made to evade government control.
2- Government are there to ensure law and order.
Result:
Crypto is a great tool to evade law and order
Governments will have to control crypto or governments will stop working
Re: The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
#57"A future in which ransomware and mass data theft are so ubiquitous they’ve worked their way into our daily lives" >>> True "The singular reason why these attacks are even possible is due entirely to rise of cryptocurrency" >>> False
Right, it's definitely a contributing factor as to why it's profitable, but the attacks themselves could be done entirely out of malice if they wanted to.
> but the attacks themselves could be done entirely out of malice if they wanted to
But then it's not really ransomware anymore.
Re: The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
#58"A future in which ransomware and mass data theft are so ubiquitous they’ve worked their way into our daily lives" >>> True "The singular reason why these attacks are even possible is due entirely to rise of cryptocurrency" >>> False
Cryptocurrency does make it easier, sure. But without it we'd still have Western Union/wire transfers to overseas jurisdictions, or Paypal, or gift cards, or money mules, or any number of less-traceable ways of turning ransomware into cash.
Re: The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
#59Ransomware is great. 1. Creates a huge financial incentive to try and break PGP encryption. 2. Pushes aside all of the lame corporate compliance "infosec" people whose job it is get lied to about PCI compliance and bitch about version numbers that they don't understand. 3. Proves useless all of the "ex-special-forces" "red team" "master safecracker" Defcon LARPers. 4. Gives the insurance companies enough room to attr…
Yep, if the companies leak our sensitive data, they don't care, business as usual. Ransomware will force companies to finally take this seriously and I, for one, am thankful even if in the short term it's painful.
Re: The Oncoming Ransomware Storm
#60Why are arguments of this form so pervasive? Cryptocurrency is bad and must be banned because ransomware. Encryption is bad because pedos, let’s ban Tor and Signal. We need a permanent surveillance state and forfeit most of our rights to privacy because terrorists bad, what do you have to hide? Is it an appeal to emotion? Fear?
Why are comments in the form of putting words into someone's mouth which they didn't say, so pervasive? The blog says "reign in and regulate", not "ban". But, to address your point, because they're good arguments. "We need to regulate $thing" has saved lots of lives. No longer can you sell plain river water to drink, dump sewage directly back into rivers, dump industrial waste into rivers, build houses which collapse…
> reign in and regulate
Crypto is heavily regulated at least in the US, Western Europe and huge swaths of Asia. Exchanging to/from fiat can only be done through entities subject to KYC, AML laws, and OFAC regulations. Additional regulations are coming - see "travel rule".
Bitcoin is infinitely more traceable than cash. Here's one of the most popular software routinely used by law enforcement to trace crypto payments: https://www.chainalysis.com/. Tumblers / mixers, etc. have only limited cloaking power.