Trend Micro Blocks Over 61 Million Ransomware Attacks in 2019

Security leader records 10% rise in ransomware detections

 

HONG KONG, CHINA – Media OutReach – February 26, 2020 – Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704),
a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today released its 2019 security
roundup report. The report details the most important issues and changes in the
threat landscape to provide businesses with insights into best practices and
strategies for protecting their infrastructures from current and emerging
threats.

 

Ransomware continued to be a mainstay
cyber threat last year. Overall, Trend Micro discovered a 10% increase in
ransomware detections, despite a 57% decrease in the number of new ransomware
families. The healthcare sector remained the most targeted industry, with more
than 700 providers affected in 2019. Additionally, at least 110 US state and
municipal governments and agencies fell victim to ransomware.

 

“Digital transformation has been a
business buzzword for decades, and the concept has yielded very positive
results over time. But security is often an afterthought, which leaves digital
doors wide open for cybercriminals,” said Tony Lee, Head of Consulting at Trend
Micro Hong Kong. “Despite the prevalent ideals of digital transformation, lack
of basic security hygiene, legacy systems with outdated operating systems and
unpatched vulnerabilities are still a reality. This scenario is ideal for
ransomware actors looking for a quick return on investment. As long as the
ransom scheme continues to be profitable, criminals will continue to leverage
it.”

 

To improve the ransomware business
process, alliances between ransomware groups were formed in 2019. For example,
the Sodinokibi ransomware operators launched coordinated attacks on 22 local
government units in Texas, demanding a combined US$2.5 million ransom. This
attack also demonstrated the “access-as-a-service” trend, in which criminal
groups rent out or sell access to company networks. This service ranges in
price from $3,000 to $20,000 USD, with the most expensive offering including
full access to a company’s server hosts and corporate virtual private networks
(VPNs).

 

Known vulnerabilities remain key to
successful cyber attacks, including ransomware. In 2019, Trend Micro’s Zero Day
Initiative (ZDI) disclosed 171% more high severity vulnerabilities than in
2018. The criticality score reflects the likelihood of these flaws being
leveraged by attackers, so high severity bugs are more likely to be weaponized
and the patches should be prioritized.

 

To protect against today’s threat
landscape, Trend Micro recommends a connected threat defense across gateways,
networks, servers and endpoints. Additionally, these best practices can
increase a company’s security posture:

• Mitigate ransomware with network segmentation, regular back-ups
  and continuous network monitoring.
• Update and patch systems and software to protect against known
  vulnerabilities.
• Enable virtual patching, especially for operating systems that are
  no longer supported by the vendor.
• Implement multi-factor authentication and least privilege access
  policies to prevent abuse of tools that can be accessed via admin credentials,
  like remote desktop protocol, PowerShell and developer tools.

For more on the cyber threat landscape
of 2019, access the full report here: https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/hk/security/research-and-analysis/threat-reports/roundup/the-sprawling-reach-of-complex-threats.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro
Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, helps to make the
world safe for exchanging digital information. Our innovative solutions for
consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data
centers, cloud environments, networks, and endpoints. All our products work
together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat
defense with centralized visibility and control, enabling better, faster
protection. With more than 6,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world’s
most advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro secures your connected
world. For more information, visit www.trendmicro.com.hk.