FBI and DHS issued Alert On Increase in SamSam Ransomware Attacks Targeted Multiple Industries

FBI and DHS issued a joint alert on how to handle the SamSam ransomware attacks that targeted multiple industries.

The SamSam ransomware is highly active in 2018, it breaks down 67 different types of organization network across the world especially in the U.S.

Every time it evolves with improved sophisticated capabilities and carefully selected specific organizations such as hospitals, schools, and government sectors.

The SamSam group makes extensive use of “living off the land” tactics: the use of operating system features or legitimate network administration tools to compromise victims’ networks.

Threat actors use exploits to gain persistent access to victim’s network and infect as much as possible, attackers either use brute force methods to gain access or through stolen login credentials.

According to the Symantec analysis, out of 67 primarily targeted attacks, 56 were located in the U.S. A small number of attacks were logged in Portugal, France, Australia, Ireland, and Israel.

The advisory comes out after two Iranian Men Faramarz Shahi Savandi, 34, and Mohammad Mehdi Shah Mansouri, 27 charged for deploying Sophisticated SamSam Ransomware on various public sectors, Hospitals, Municipalities that caused $30 million damages and huge information loss.

Once SamSam ransomware encrypted all the files then it leaves ransom notes on the computer and direct victim’s to establish a connection over Tor hidden site to make ransom payment in bitcoin and once payment has done victims will receive instructions to decrypt the files.

DHS and FBI recommend mitigation for users and administrators to strengthen the security posture of their organization’s systems.

Here you can see Ransomware Attack Response and Mitigation Checklist.

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