Has it ever occurred to you how the world will evolve in the near future? With the latest advancements in all walks of life, man is also witnessing technology abuse in certain areas of life. The dark world of cybercrime is also evolving with time but at double speed. Ransomware, something which started in the late 1900s, has become a huge threat to our society. Every day, huge amounts of money is paid to assailants at the cost of personal information and security. Industry leaders like Maersk, TNT, NHS, Telefonica, and many five star hotels have been victims of this malicious operation. They have paid millions of dollars to recover their files and to top it all lost millions in revenues as bad company image.
Despite companies paying millions of dollars on antivirus software and educating their staff, they still get targeted by these malware operators. New ransomware software like WannaCry, Petya and NotPetya are emerging as deadlier than their previous versions. In 2017, more than 250 cases were reported getting affected by ransomware.
Experts are predicting a very significant increase in the number of ransomware attacks in the near future. They say there will be an exceptional increase in the number of malware cases in the health sector where sensitive information about patients will be at risk. Plus, there might be database decryption which will force the affected to pay the attacker. It will not come as a surprise if these database ransomware attacks start wiping out a company’s profile or shareholders’ information. Moreover, they might become more organized in the future and work as a community to target bigger businesses.
Why is it going to rise? Take a look around you, everything is on smart mode, your school, your house, your car, your shopping cart, but what good will it bring? Walk over to your refrigerator and open the door, estimate the amount of food in that fridge! It must be worth $200 or more. Your car can also be turned on with the help of your phone. You’re driving to work, have to attend an urgent meeting in 20 minutes and your car suddenly comes to a halt and it won’t start. As most companies have started hiring robotics and AI as their workforce, they are more vulnerable to these hackers than any other factory that has a human workforce.
On the contrary, law enforcement agencies have also started planning ahead of time to ensure cybersecurity and minimize malware threats. Groups like No More Ransome Threat and other cybercrime fighting groups are continuously working with these business and service tycoons to help them improve their security services and provide support to their employees. Companies that are in the household market must make sure that their products are secured and upgraded with time especially car manufacturers must be well aware of the ransomware threats keeping their customers in mind.
All in all, it is highly recommended to keep your home and workplace secured and well protected.
