Data hijacking: Learn how to protect yourself from ransomware

The target of ransomware attacks, which initially were numerous companies paying relatively small ransoms, become large companies (Credit: Pexels )

The Covid-19 pandemic spreads around the world, forcing companies to overhaul their systems overnight to enable remote working. This dramatically changes their networks, and even in haste, making them more vulnerable. On the other side, hackers have been refining methods of unauthorized transfer (exfiltration) of data at least since the famous Shammom, Iranian attack against Saudi Aramco, in 2012.

The targets of ransomware attacks, which initially were numerous companies paying relatively small ransoms, have become large companies, handpicked and threatened with double extortion: attackers now not only breach the organization, they encrypt the files and hold them hostage, but they begin to extract customer data, or sensitive information of any kind, threatening to make it public if no ransom is paid.