2016: The Year of Cyber Ransom

In 2015, we made a number of predictions for the upcoming year. One of the bigger predictions was that we would see the continued rise of ransomware and RDoS (ransom-denial-of-service) attacks. When we look back at the year, we were right – 56% of companies we surveyed reported being threatened in this manner.

Because these attacks have become so prevalent, it’s important to understand the motives behind them, and how to protect your organization. Below is a round-up of some of our most popular blog posts to bring you up to speed on this threat:

Introduction to Cyber Ransom

Not sure where to start? This blog by our ERT Researcher Daniel Smith is a great place to get an overview of this type of attack. He’ll walk you through how to determine if a ransom note is real or fake, some of the attackers at the forefront of this trend, and what motivates them to engage in cyber ransom.

Read it here: Ransom, Ransom Everywhere

C-Suite Research

What do the C-suite think? We surveyed more than 200 security executives about a number of cyber security issues, one of which was how they would respond to ransom, or have responded in the past. Our research also breaks down the differences in response between the United States and United Kingdom. This blog post dips into that research and discusses how security is becoming more of a priority for top-level executives.

Read it here: A View from the Corner Offices: New Research on C-Suite Security Mindset

Consumers Feeling the Burn, Too

It’s not just organizations that are targeted by ransom attacks – consumers are also victims as well. When it comes to individual consumers, the motivations can be different. But as with our C-suite research, actions don’t always match beliefs – whether or not a ransom is paid depends greatly on age range, with Millennials more likely to pay. This blog covers that research conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Radware.

Read it here: Millennials Most Likely to Pay a Ransom When Data is Digitally Hijacked

So What About 2017?

Radware is predicting that we could see a number of different cyber-attack scenarios occur in the next year, including seeing ransom attacks get more personal. Can you imagine having your pacemaker or implanted defibrillator held for ransom? While it sounds like science fiction, the idea is actually plausible and is a scary one, at that. This blog by our Vice President of Security Solutions, Carl Herberger, goes into detail on some of these scenarios and what else we should be watching out for in 2017.

Read it here: Cyber Security Predictions: Looking Back at 2016, Peering Ahead to 2017

Bringing It All Together

So now that you have a better idea of how cyber ransom works, we recommend downloading our latest e-book to keep on hand. What’s included in the guide? This blog by Carl Herberger provides an overview as well as a link to download. In the guide, you’ll see real-world examples of ransom notes, learn how to complete a risk assessment of your company’s vulnerabilities, the specific tools that attackers are leveraging, and more.

Read it here: As Cyber Security Programs Lose Their Moorings to Ransom-DoS: Radware Introduces the Ultimate Guide to Cyber Ransom

While we originally predicted that cloud companies would be the main targets of cyber ransom, it turns out that ransomware affected just about every type of business. That makes it even more imperative that organizations understand this threat and learn how to protect against it.