Ransomware attacks have become increasingly prevalent since 2005, and since then, they’ve had crippling effects on the attacked companies resulting in massive consequences.
Today, the nature of the Ransomware attacks is colossally complex and advanced, causing catastrophic side effects to millions of users around the globe. Cybercriminals have become so proficient in their attacks as they now have access to sophisticated tactics and advanced technology, making it easier to obscure their identity, and complicating the encryption process even further, demanding huge amounts for Ransomware removal. This Ransomware removal is a huge monetary burden for the companies. The attackers take advantage of their anonymity and hide behind the systems, without fear of being reprimanded.
This has turned cybercrime into an extremely lucrative business. The attackers are able to earn billions every year through this offense.
However, we cannot deny the fact that it is a challenging task to catch and prosecute these hackers due to their anonymity. The universal nature of the problem has alerted the law enforcement and security agencies who are diligently working to tackle the issue in an effort to alleviate the level of crime.
It is no doubt that not just Ransomware removal, but tracing the attackers is an obstinate and extensive task and requires a lot of in-depth investigation and collaboration from the security agencies.
However, it’s not impossible to catch these hackers. It might seem to be an overwhelming mission, but at the end of the day, no matter how complex the attacks may become, there is still room for mistakes, as hackers are also humans. A minute slip-up by the hands of the hacker can reveal traces of evidence for the security agencies.
It is these minor errors that play a significant role to identify and catch the criminals. For example, something as trivial as a slight spelling error in an email or a financial transaction can notify a criminal activity.
Another cue can be revealed by the type of malicious software that is used to attack the system which can serve as evidence for the security officials to track down the derivations of the attack. In many cases, such as that of the Bangladesh Bank Attack of 2016, it is easier to decipher the codes and decryption keys, if they are identical, when the same software has been used in other incidents as well.
Security officials have come up with an effective model to track down hackers and catch them known as Honeypots. A network-attached system is set up, which might appear to be a legitimate system to the attackers, and thus a potential target for an attack. However, these decoy computer systems contain applications that can track down the attack. Hackers are enticed by this and might end up infecting these systems, thereby revealing the insights of the hackers and their operations. These dummy attacks are very beneficial in providing substantial information that otherwise is very difficult to acquire.
It cannot be refuted that catching hackers is a very challenging task, but if conscientious efforts are put in by the authorities to investigate the crime and reach its roots, nothing is unachievable.
