Ransomware incidents continue to be on the rise, wreaking havoc for organizations globally. Ransomware attacks target an organization’s data or infrastructure, and, in exchange for releasing the captured data or infrastructure, the attacker demands a ransom. This creates a dilemma for organizations — the decision to pay the ransom, relying on the attacker to release the data as they say, or to reject the ransom demand and try to restore the data or operations on their own.
Author: Discerning Data Editorial Board
Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology Podcast: Cybersquatting and How To Protect Your Internet Domain
Cybersquatting, also known as “domain spoofing” or “typo squatting,” occurs when someone registers a trademark that they do not own in an internet domain name — usually in an effort to impersonate and fraudulently profit off of commercial or other brands. In this episode of the Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology Podcast, host Jason G. Weiss sits down with Faegre Drinker’s Libby Baney and Garth Bruen, a distinguished cybercrime researcher whose work has been published in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, to discuss cybersquatting and the systems (like WHOIS and ICANN) that track internet registrations.
US Broadband in 2021; Policies Promoting Infrastructure, Competition, National Security and Universal Access
During his presidential campaign, President Biden committed “to build back better in rural America” by “expand[ing] broadband, or wireless broadband via 5G, to every American.” Last month, President Biden renewed his focus on “universal broadband” through the announcement of a bipartisan agreement for a large infrastructure bill that highlights broadband connectivity. Between setting the goal and realizing congressional appropriations to implement his “Build Back Better” initiative, federal (and in some situations, state) regulators have also confronted several important broadband infrastructure issues this year as they balance an understandable desire for competition and choice among broadband networks and service offerings against the practical challenges and economic realities of broadband deployment. What progress has the Biden Administration made so far?
Broadband is more important now than ever. According to a 2021 report by Parks Associates, 41% of US broadband households have been working or attending schools remotely, with the COVID-19 pandemic having driven approximately 7.2% of those households to upgrade their broadband network last year. Terabytes of data are communicated and shared every second through broadband Internet platforms – the most ubiquitous means of communication and connection.
7 Tips to Keep Your Remote Work Setup Secure
Privacy, cybersecurity & data strategy counsel Jason G. Weiss and associate Grayson Harbour coauthored an article for Indianapolis Business Journal titled “7 Tips to Keep Your Remote Work Setup Secure.”
Continue reading “7 Tips to Keep Your Remote Work Setup Secure”
Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology Podcast: How To Use Data Analytics in Your Investigation
When responding to a high-pressure cyber incident, a strong data analytics team is invaluable — and can almost allow attorneys to see into the future. In this episode of the Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology Podcast, host Jason G. Weiss sits down with Jay Brudz, partner at Faegre Drinker and Tritura managing executive director, and Kenny Darrell, Tritura senior data scientist, to discuss the use of data analytics in investigations.
Disruptionware VII: The Evolution of Disruptionware and the Growth of Ransomware as a Service (RaaS)
I have written multiple times about the danger of disruptionware to both Information Technology (IT) networks as well as Operational Technologies (OT) networks of victims globally. As discussed here, many different nefarious tools make up the disruptionware “tool kit.” These tools include, but are not limited to:
- Ransomware
- Wipers
- Bricking capabilities tools
- Automated components
- Data exfiltration tools
- Network reconnaissance tools
The most well-known and most used of all these tools is ransomware malware. Ransomware attacks have grown exponentially over the past few years. Dozens of ransomware gangs are launching ransomware attacks and terrorizing and extorting businesses throughout the world. This has included specific attacks against the U.S. energy sector as well as U.S. infrastructure projects.