Ransomware attacks are increasingly targeting UK educational establishments, according to the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Schools, colleges, and universities have been the victims of recent attempts to hold data for ransom, evidently pointing to an ongoing trend: Ransomware operators are attacking sectors when they are highly vulnerable. The cautious return of students to scholastic institutions during a pandemic, coupled with the strain of remote studying and teaching, is lending education an air of susceptibility to cyber attack. This strengthens the appeal of targeting the sector with ransomware, as seen in early 2020 with the healthcare sector. Ransomware operators will also likely zero in on other sectors and geographies that are struggling with the pandemic, potentially including victims involved in travel and leisure, hospitality, and the public sector.
Most Recent Flipbooks
Weekly Intelligence Summary 09 April
A user of the cybercriminal forum RaidForums has offered 533 million records of Facebook user data for only a few US dollars.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 02 April
Insurance provider CNA Financial has announced it was targeted in a cyber attack, later confirmed as involving the newly identified “Phoenix Cryptolocker” ransomware.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 26 March
The new Internet of Things (IoT) botnet ZHtrap has been turning devices it has infected into honeypots, in a novel technique that highlights yet another risk presented by exposed IoT devices.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 19 March
Four zero-day vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Servers have been linked to more than 30,000 cyber attacks taking place in the week following their discovery.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 12 March
A new round of software attacks has raised another red flag concerning supply-chain security and the prevalence of third-party supply-chain targeting.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 05 March
The French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) identified a new “Ryuk” ransomware variant that has the capability to self-propagate across victim networks.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 26 February
The People’s Republic of China-linked advanced persistent threat group “APT31” reportedly cloned and deployed a zero-day exploit developed by NSA's Equation Group in 2013.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 19 February
An unidentified attacker accessed the computer systems of a water treatment facility in the US, altering sodium hydroxide levels in the potable water supply.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 12 February
Following the disclosure of the SolarWinds supply-chain compromise in December 2020, details continue to emerge about the scale of the attack.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 05 February
The North Korean advanced persistent threat (APT) group “ZINC” has been targeting cyber-security professionals with social engineering that leads to malware delivery.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 29 January
A new web portal is aiding cyber-threat incident responders by detailing vulnerabilities in popular malware.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 22 January
Technical analysis of a cyber-threat campaign using the dangerous and widespread “Lokibot” malware has revealed an updated method being used to conduct sophisticated attacks.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 15 January
A cyber-security firm released a free decryptor for the popular and sophisticated “DarkSide” ransomware.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 08 January
The cyber-security industry learned some valuable lessons during the unique and unprecedented year of 2020.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 23 December
The notorious Automated Vending Cart (AVC) website Joker’s Stash allegedly displayed a notification that the site was seized by law-enforcement agencies.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 18 December
SolarWinds confirmed that its network management system, Orion Platform, was exploited to conduct a highly sophisticated, manual supply-chain attack.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 11 December
A global spearphishing campaign targeted organizations associated with a COVID-19 vaccine cold chain.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 4 December
A threat actor recently hijacked a vulnerable WordPress website set up by a security researcher.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 27 November
The operators of the “RagnarLocker” ransomware began an advertising campaign on Facebook to further extort the victim of one of their recent attacks.
Weekly Intelligence Summary 20 November
“CostaRicto” has become the fourth cyber-mercenary group to be discovered in 2020.