Ransomware attacks: 75 percent spike in attacks on Linux OS users in first half of 2022

New research has claimed that there is a 75 percent increment in the ransomware attacks that target Linux operating systems. This data has been collected from the first half of 2022 and the rise has been compared to the data from the first half of last year. Researchers from the cybersecurity firm, Trend Micro have found a spike in ransomware attacks. The researchers have found that there is an emergence of new Linux ransomware families for the first half of 2022.

The researchers stated, “We observed how malicious actors favoured ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) methods for faster deployments and bigger payouts. They also used relatively new ransomware families in high-profile attacks and increasingly targeted Linux-based systems with attacks.”

According to the data presented by the researchers, there were 67 active RaaS and extortion groups and over 1,200 victim organisations that were reported in the first six months of this year alone.

The operators of this Ransomware also resorted to both novel and tried-and-tested methods to attack cloud environments. The researchers have also discovered a new ransomware variant this year which is called Cheerscrypt, that also targeted ESXi servers.

“Successful infection of these servers, which are widely used by enterprises, could cause significant security issues in critical infrastructures,” the team warned.

In the beginning of 2022, many companies around the world began calling for most, if not all, of their workforce to return to the office on a full-time basis, a phenomenon aptly referred to as “the Great Return.”

Meanwhile, some companies embraced permanent hybrid work or remote setups.

Trend Micro statement said, “This diffused labour pool, together with a widened digital attack surface, has made it increasingly difficult for cybersecurity teams to keep different work structures secure — a susceptibility thread that cybercriminals are quick to pull on to launch critical attacks and exploit vulnerabilities,”.

This new model of Ransomware delivery allows affiliates to buy or rent ransomware tools and infrastructures. It also made waves in the first half of 2022.

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