Did you know that over 80% of ransomware attacks can be traced to common configuration errors in software and devices? This ease of access is one of many reasons why cybercriminals have become emboldened by the underground ransomware economy.And yet, many threat actors are working within a limited pool of ransomware groups. Although ransomware is a headline-grabbing topic, it’s ultimately being driven forward by a relatively small and interconnected ecosystem of players. The specialization and consolidation of the cybercrime economy has fueled ransomware as a service (RaaS) to become a dominant business model — enabling a wider range of criminals to deploy ransomware regardless of their technical expertise. This, in turn, has forced all of us to become cybersecurity defenders.When Microsoft is developing threat intelligence, we don’t just rely on open forum monitoring and ransomware claims to identify emerging cybercrime trends. We also observe end-to-end events as they occur. This has allowed us to identify patterns in cybercriminal activity and turn cybercrime into a preventable disruption to business. Once businesses can address the problems and network gaps that industrialized tools rely on to succeed, they can better strengthen their cybersecurity position. Here are some of our top tips.Understanding how RaaS worksBefore you can defend against ransomware, you must first know how it operates. Ransomware is not targeted. Instead, ransomware takes advantage of existing security compromis …
Extortion Economics: Ransomware’s New Business Model – CSO Online
