Ransomware is malware that, once activated, locks up your company's data or IT systems with the aim of extorting a high monetary payment for their release, or even to stop them being destroyed – a denial-of-service (DoS) attack. Such an attack can also have the goal of disrupting the regular operation of your server or network – a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. There are various types of ransomware, but they all aim to extort victims by denying or restricting access to their own data. Ransomware is often spread through email attachments, malicious links, infected software downloads, or even vulnerabilities in inadequately protected systems. Viruses and trojans, which can infect both platforms and devices, seek access to your IT infrastructure via a wide variety of security holes, intended to cause the greatest possible damage. Successful attackers demand a ransom, usually in the form of cryptocurrency, to release the encrypted data or restore access to the infected system.
DoS and DDoS attacks aim to completely or partially disrupt the IT infrastructure of individuals or businesses. Attacks on businesses are particularly attractive to criminals. Following a successful attack, the company and its customers may have little to no access to the digital infrastructure. On one hand, Consequently, customers cannot receive services from the affected company or access information about them, while the affected company cannot carry out its business operations. This situation can paralyze the entire organizational structure of a company. Criminals often extort companies by promising to release their systems in exchange for a ransom payment. Faced with these threats, companies often feel compelled and vulnerable. Therefore, competent advice and support regarding prevention and recovery tools are crucial. At Teichmann International (IT Solutions) AG, we are always willing and available to provide you with these services.
DoS attacks target the IT infrastructure of individuals or businesses. Aiming to render the affected IT infrastructure unusable or inaccessible, attackers flood it with an immense volume of requests, overwhelming the system's capacity to process them. In the worst-case scenario, the entire system can collapse.
Attackers employ advanced and sophisticated programs for their actions. They also use creative attack methods:
In this type of attack, an extreme number of emails or an extremely large message is sent to the target address, causing the email account to become overwhelmed. This can slow down or even crash the mail server. Mailbombing attacks can be carried out relatively easily using programs available online.
In an SYN flooding attack, fake SYN packets are sent to a computer system, prompting it to respond with SYN-ACK packets. Since the sender's address is spoofed by the attackers, the targeted computer system attempts to establish a connection with an unreachable system. This leads to the attacked computer exhausting its connection capacity and becoming unreachable for other systems.
This method uses ping programs to check the accessibility of other computers in the network. Attackers flood the target computer with a large number of ping requests, which it devotes resources to processing as "pongs." Many older operating systems cannot handle such a high load, causing them to crash regularly. In general, ping flooding attacks significantly impact the attacked computer and the network to which it is connected. If the network connection is billed based on generated data volume, the victim could face substantial costs.
While DoS attacks are carried out from a specific system, DDoS attackers leverage multiple networked systems by infecting a large number of unprotected computers with attack software. Known as a botnet, this attack network can be used to initiate a coordinated attack, with all infected computers flooding the target with countless requests simultaneously. As with a DoS attack, the target system cannot process the immense number of requests, causing it to slow down significantly or even crash.
Cybercriminals threaten to publish sensitive data unless you pay high monetary amounts. Malware may be placed on websites, linked to in e-mails, or attached to emails as a file, with the aim of tricking your employees into activating it.
A ransomware infection can be highly costly and pose major challenges to your business, so it is essential to prioritize a quick return to normal operations after a cyberattack, based on your company's up-to-date and resilient cybersecurity strategy.
By proactively dealing with cybersecurity risks, you can detect ransomware attacks at an early stage and respond optimally. Our tailored solutions support you in integrating suitable security tools into your systems and analysing the current state of your IT. Your employees can be prepared for digital attacks by introducing a reaction scheme and by being trained to handle ransomware through practical experience under simulation conditions. In the event of an emergency, we also help you negotiate with the perpetrators to successfully recover all data and systems, ensuring you can quickly resume operations without further damage.
Professional security risk management should always be an integral part of the overall corporate strategy. With TI IT Solutions as a competent and reliable partner, you can ensure the optimal protection of your technical infrastructure and network from ransomware attacks at any time.