John O’Neil and Ransomware
What, Exactly, Is Ransomware?
Ransomware is a form of malware software that infects your systems and encrypts your files. The user cannot access their data until a ransom is paid in exchange for a decryption key. Once the ransom is paid, a user can only hope that the attacker will provide the decryption key and regain access to their files. In any event, the ransom must be paid to the attacker in Bitcoin and typically ranges from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.
Source: https://www.acronis.com/en-us/articles/what-is-ransomware/?gclid=CjwKCAjwt8uGBhBAEiwAayu_9WK7_wo7i4GHDxN9L5hM96_vQrYg8XDmAx53vN3XaM-X0hCC4tHX9xoCa44QAvD_BwE
A Step-by-step Guide
YouTube is a great resource for tech tutorials but always watch more than one video; sometimes the video is old, sometimes it’s even plain wrong.
The video below is good, if a bit too technical for the average user. Still, it’s a worthwhile watch no matter if you do what you see on the video or not!
Supermicro Issue
Here’s the scoop on the Supermicro issue that Brad mentioned:
Nearly three years ago, Bloomberg Businessweek made a bombshell allegation: That the Chinese state had infiltrated server manufacturer Supermicro, adding tiny chips to its motherboards that ended up in US government and cloud company data centers. This, they said, allowed unprecedented access to an adversary state.
For more details: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/years-later-bloomberg-doubles-down-disputed-supermicro-supply-chain-hack-story/
Food for Thought
The first recorded Ransomware attack was in 1989. Joseph Popp sent out 20,000 floppy discs to the attendees of the World Health Organization’s AIDS conference in Stockholm. When, a-hem, popped into the computer the malware locked up until $189 was sent to a PO Box in Panama.
For full details: https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/16/tech/ransomware-joseph-popp/index.html
