If you’ve been operating in the MSSP space for a while, you know that, despite some high-profile takedowns like Operation Cookie Monster, the world’s authorities aren’t close to shutting down cybercrime operations. The sad reality is cybercrime is a high-growth industry.
As we’ve discussed often at Secure Network Hub, high-profile attacks are perversely helpful to MSSPs because they can help get your prospects and customers to take badly needed action. With that in mind, here are some of the year’s biggest attacks so far.
Massive Spike in Ransomware Attacks
No, it’s not your imagination. Ransomware attacks have spiked this year. FortiGuard Labs is tracking nearly 11,000 ransomware variants amid 150,000 detections weekly. We’ve covered a couple of higher-profile ransomware events here, including:
- The LockBit attack on SpaceX—complete with a threat aimed at Elon Musk—via a contractor breach
- The sprawling attack on the City of Oakland
Those are just the tip of the iceberg. The Clop ransomware gang claimed to have breached 130 organizations in a single day via a GoAnywhere MFT zero-day exploit.
KillNet DDoS Attack Targets 14 U.S. Hospitals
There’s a good chance that your clients have heard of ransomware as a service. If not, here’s a primer you can share. But they may not realize that other forms of cyberattack are also available “as a service,” including distributed denial of service (DDoS). In December, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) seized 48 domains associated with these services.
DDoS-for-hire (aka “booter” services) is how pro-Russian hacktivist group KillNet got its start. The group has expanded its scope of activity into other areas (e.g., exfiltrating and posting personal data online) but earlier this year launched a DDoS attack against 14 hospitals in the U.S., purportedly in retaliation for U.S. support of Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“We Are the Vermin Who Breached Your Company.”
It’s a safe bet that when you receive an email that leads with “We are the vermin who breached your company,” whatever follows won’t be welcome news. This is the nightmare Western Digital executives have been living since these exact messages landed in their personal email boxes following the exfiltration of 10 terabytes of information from company systems.
According to reports, the hackers were able to penetrate Western Digital extensively enough to “authentically” sign a file with Western Digital’s code-signing certificate. While the group didn’t expressly use ransomware on company systems, they’ve demanded an eight-figure ransom to return the stolen information.
Most Cyberattacks Are Lower Profile
The painful reality that your clients face is that most cyberattacks and their victims are lower profile. Make sure you drive that point home with your clients.
Of course, with today’s reality, it only makes sense to take a truly comprehensive approach to ransomware protection. For enterprises of all sizes, that means securing all entry points, which is why Fortinet created the Fortinet Security Fabric. Want to learn more? Find out more about the Fortinet Security Fabric.