ransomware Reading Time: 2 minutes

Ransomware has now become a very common thing. Companies and organizations all the world over are getting attacked by ransomware, following which they have to face lots of serious issues including loss of money.

Comodo’s Senior Research Scientist Dr. Kenneth Geers, who has been a noted research scientist with over 20 years of experience with the US government and who is also an expert on all kinds of malware, is currently traveling far and wide discussing ransomware, among other issues pertaining to cybersecurity.

ransomware

Ransomware, in the words of Dr.Kenneth Geers, is a “..trending, and somewhat dangerous form of malware that is growing. It’s a denial of service, denial of access type operation in which cybercriminals seek money. So they are looking to target organizations or individuals that they can pressure into extortion”. He explains how hospitals and law firms who need their access to data and who cannot live without it are targeted using ransomware and also explains that this kind of malware has been evolving for a long time. Dr. Geers says that precursors to today’s ransomware were seen as early as 1989 when someone encrypted data using a virus and demanded 189 dollars to decrypt it.

Dr. Kenneth Geers would be addressing the growing ransomware issue, with special focus on the Middle East, in the coming RSA conference, slated to take place in Abu Dhabi, Nov 15-16. The presentation, titled ‘Ransomware in the Middle East’, “…will cover types of ransomware, their design, propagation, encryption, command and control, targets, payment, proactive defense and reactive solutions. In particular, it will discuss the use and evolution of ransomware in the Middle East”.

Ransomware, which had struck recently at many leading security for healthcare centers, hospitals etc in different places across the world, affects and totally obstructs the functioning of file access, browsers, applications etc. This would ultimately cripple the overall functioning of organizations and businesses, forcing them to pay a ransom to get things back on track.

Dr. Kenneth Geers would be addressing ransomware and other issues in different cybersecurity forums being conducted all across the world.

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