INTERNATIONAL
Businesses worldwide are being targeted with ransomware by professional hacking teams, according to ABS Laundry Business Solutions (ABS). The company is asking textile care businesses to be aware that over the past five years the damages to companies were increasing from approx. $325 million in 2015 to an expected $20 billion in 2021.
Over the past 18 months there have been cases in the laundry industry where ICT infrastructure was compromised by malware putting daily operations at risk.
Commonly the following approach is followed:
• A hacker compromises an end-user workstation, often starts from spam or targeted emails
• Gathers credentials to access other workstations and servers (Credential Theft)
• Destroys backups / de-activates backup system
• Copies valuable data
• Encrypts or ‘takes hostage’ server infrastructure and as many workstations as possible
• ‘Requests’ a large ransom to decrypt data and release systems
In case it happens to your organisation, ABS recommends that, to overcome malware infections, it is very important that there is a recovery plan in place. You must be sure that you can rely on your backup solution and standby systems when needed. Your backups should be resilient for ransomware attacks and tested on a regular frequency, it said.
There is not an overall or one-step solution to avoid ransomware attacks. ICT infrastructure and operating systems should be kept up to date, periodically patched and hardened against Credential Theft. Recommended industry best practice security products must be implemented, and active monitoring should be in place.
ABS says its technicians are ready to advise and support when required. Click here to fnd out more about ABS.
