Summary:
A report from Malwarebytes reveals that most ransomware attacks now occur between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., aiming to catch cybersecurity teams off guard. The 2024 State of Ransomware Report, based on threat intelligence from Malwarebytes' ThreatDown unit, indicates that a majority of incidents happen in the early morning, targeting the victim organization's local time zone. The timing, often at night or on weekends, is intended to exploit the reduced IT staff available to respond.


The report draws on data from Malwarebytes' ThreatDown detection and response unit, gathered during incident response engagements and from ransomware leak sites. It found that a significant portion of the incidents handled over the past year occurred in the early morning hours, targeting the specific time zone of the victim organization. This tactic underscores the increasing sophistication of ransomware operators, who are tailoring their attack strategies to maximize disruption and minimize the chances of being stopped in their tracks.


Security Officer Comments:
A key finding in the report is the rapid acceleration of the ransomware attack chain. Whereas it once took weeks to progress from initial access to encryption, attackers can now achieve this within hours. This speed is facilitated by the use of "living-off-the-land" techniques, where attackers leverage legitimate tools and processes within the victim's environment to avoid detection by conventional security measures. This evolution in tactics has made it more difficult for organizations to identify and stop ransomware attacks before significant damage is done.


Suggested Corrections:


Backup your data, system images, and configurations, regularly test them, and keep the backups offline: Ensure that backups are regularly tested and that they are not connected to the business network, as many ransomware variants try to find and encrypt or delete accessible backups. Maintaining current backups offline is critical because if your network data is encrypted with ransomware, your organization can restore systems.


Update and patch systems promptly: This includes maintaining the security of operating systems, applications, and firmware in a timely manner. Consider using a centralized patch management system; use a risk-based assessment strategy to drive your patch management program.


Test your incident response plan: There's nothing that shows the gaps in plans more than testing them. Run through some core questions and use those to build an incident response plan: Are you able to sustain business operations without access to certain systems? For how long? Would you turn off your manufacturing operations if business systems such as billing were offline?


Check Your Security Team's Work: Use a 3rd party pen tester to test the security of your systems and your ability to defend against a sophisticated attack. Many ransomware criminals are aggressive and sophisticated and will find the equivalent of unlocked doors.

Segment your networks: There's been a recent shift in ransomware attacks – from stealing data to disrupting operations. It's critically important that your corporate business functions and manufacturing/production operations are separated and that you carefully filter and limit internet access to operational networks, identify links between these networks and develop workarounds or manual controls to ensure ICS networks can be isolated and continue operating if your corporate network is compromised. Regularly test contingency plans such as manual controls so that safety critical functions can be maintained during a cyber incident.


Train employees: Email remains the most vulnerable attack vector for organizations. Users should be trained how to avoid and spot phishing emails. Multi Factor authentication can help prevent malicious access to sensitive services.

Link(s):

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/most-ransomware-attacks-happen/