Mitigate Ransomware effects with Biomorphic Perimeterisation

Ransomware is a blanket term used to describe a class of malware that is used to digitally extort victims into payment of a specific fee. In this book we want to give you a high-level introduction to the concept of ransomware and then dig deeply into the methods you would take to protect yourself from this scourge. In this first chapter we will cover a bit of the history of ransomware as well as give an overview of the ransomware attack chain.

At its heart, this form of digital extortion can be broken down into two major types, and then subdivided based on the families they represent. The two major forms of ransomware are those that encrypt, obfuscate, or deny access to files, and those that restrict access or lock users out of the systems themselves. These threats are not limited to any particular geography or operating system, and can take action on any number of devices. Everything from your Android devices, iOS systems, or Windows systems all are at risk of this type of exploitation via ransomware. Depending on the target, the method of compromise of the device may be different, and the final actions taken would be limited by the device capability itself, but there are also recognizable patterns that many extortionists follow.

Once a computer has received such a malware it is very unlike for the end user to restore the data stored into this computer, unless he pays a specific amount of money to the malware sender or generator. But this payment does not always means that the end user is able to restore his data, as it is not sure whether this end user has sufficient knowledge to restore this data, or the ransomware generator has provided to the end user the right keys or the right instructions.

From economic perspective, from 2016 to 2017, there has been a 2,502% increase in the sale of ransomware on the dark web. This increase is largely due to a simple economic principle supply and demand. Cybercriminals are increasingly seeing opportunities to enter the market and looking to make a quick buck via one of the many ransomware offerings available via illicit economies. In addition, a basic appeal of ransomware is simple: it’s turnkey. Unlike many other forms of cyberattacks, ransomware can be quickly and brainlessly deployed with a high probability of profit.