Ransomware Attacks Increase, Phishing Engineering Becomes Main Weapon

Illustration of ransomware (photo: istock)

JAKARTA - Microsoft recently released the Digital Defense Report 2024, an annual report providing the latest developments in the global cybersecurity landscape.

The report reveals that ransomware is still an active type of cyber threat by cybercriminals.

Microsoft said that ransomware attacks directly controlled by cybercriminals or known as human-operated ransomware increased by 2.75 times compared to the previous year.

This attack allows attackers to enter the organizational technology infrastructure and spread ransomware more effectively.

In more than 90 percent of cases where attacks enter the ransom stage, attackers take advantage of unmanaged devices (unmanaged devices) in the organization's network to gain initial access, or to encrypt organizational assets remotely (remote encryption).

The most common initial access techniques include social engineering such as phishing via email, SMS, and sound.

On the other hand, reports show that ransomware attacks that reached the encryption stage have tripled in the last two years, one of which is thanks to automatic attack disruption capabilities.

However, Microsoft insists that every individual and organization still needs to be vigilant as the attackers continue to innovate with new cyberattack models.

"Cyber security is a sports team where everyone, not only the IT team, takes an important role in it," said Panji Wasmana, Indonesia's National Technology Officer.