Events , Fraud Management & Cybercrime , Ransomware

The Growing Threat of Advanced Ransomware Attacks

The ever-changing and constantly-present threat of ransomware has become more sophisticated thanks in part to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Cybercriminals have also evolved their attack methods, using advanced tactics to exploit zero-day vulnerabilities and focusing on vulnerable network edge devices (see: The Peril of Badly Secured Network Edge Devices). This ongoing evolution has forced organizations to remain constantly vigilant and consider new, innovative ways to stay one step ahead.

See Also: Corelight's Brian Dye on NDR's Role in Defeating Ransomware

With the stakes growing higher each year, individuals and major organizations need to improve their cyber posture by starting with some basic best practices, according to Mandiant Chief Technology Officer Charles Carmakal. Those include implementing enterprisewide multifactor authentication, and creating defenses against increasingly believable phishing campaigns and advanced intrusion operations.

"A lot of people make certain assumptions around the controls that they have in their environment," Carmakal said. "We still see a lot of remote access solutions that don't require multifactor authentication for every single user."

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group at RSA Conference 2024, Carmakal also discussed:

• Why English-speaking Western threat actors are adopting Eastern European tactics;
• Why foreign governments are focusing on zero-days in devices without EDR solutions;
• What steps organizations can take to improve user verification and poor remote access configuration.

Carmakal oversees a team of incident responders, analysts and security consultants that help thousands of organizations respond to complex security breaches orchestrated by foreign governments and organized criminals. He has over 20 years of experience helping organizations become more resilient to cyberattacks. Prior to Mandiant, he served in various leadership roles within PwC in the U.S. and Australia.