CISA's Proactive Measures averted Ransomware, Millions Preserved

 

The threat of ransomware attacks has increased in recent years, causing significant disruptions across a wide range of industries across the country, causing significant disruptions. Various industries have been affected by these attacks, with schools closing, hospitals diverting patients, and businesses going through operational changes. 

It has never been more pressing for a robust defence mechanism to be in place because mitigation and recovery costs have been astronomical. It is the mission of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to combat this menace in a concerted manner. 

As a result of its collaboration with various stakeholders, CISA is committed to reducing both ransomware attack frequencies and severity. As a part of this initiative, organizations are also launching several programs designed to help them swiftly address the vulnerabilities that are frequently exploited by ransomware attackers to avoid them being compromised. 

To further the anti-ransomware campaign, CISA has announced the Pre-Ransomware Notification Initiative as a significant step forward. It is part of the interagency Joint Ransomware Task Force's efforts to mitigate ransomware damage, which are already making significant headway in mitigating ransomware damage. Using tips from cybersecurity researchers, infrastructure providers, and threat intelligence firms, CISA's Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative notifies victims of early-stage ransomware activity to prevent victims from becoming victims being damaged. 

A major increase in notifications of potential pre-ransomware intrusions was carried out by the federal cyber authorities during the first quarter of 2023 across multiple critical infrastructure sectors across multiple different sectors. The notification activity continued to be substantially ramped up during the remainder of the year.  CISA does not stop at alerts when it comes to ransomware. 

In February, CISA assisted a Fortune 500 company that had been hit with a $60 million ransomware attack to establish a CISO position, as well as identify areas for improving its IT infrastructure and security controls. Additionally, the agency said it assisted a mass transit operator in preventing an attack of $350 million on critical infrastructure of the transit system. 

It was announced by CISA that its rundown of accomplishments in 2023 was quite impressive, including the fact that over 1,700 alerts were sent out for its ransomware vulnerability warning program and that nearly 7,000 organizations that are vital to global trade and commerce were scanned for vulnerabilities. This initiative has been a very successful one with the support of the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), which has played a central role in ensuring the success of the project. 

Several cybersecurity researchers, infrastructure providers, and threat intelligence companies provide information to the JCDC on the earliest signs of ransomware activity that should be kept an eye on by the JCDC. A field representative will respond immediately to a tip and address the mitigation needs of the affected organization. 

The CISA global CERT partners will work closely with CISA to ensure timely notification is achieved when a case involves an international component. There have been over 60 entities in critical sectors such as energy, healthcare, water/wastewater, and education that have been notified by CISA of potential pre-ransomware intrusions that have been detected since the beginning of 2023. 

The majority of companies managed to identify and remediate these intrusions promptly, stopping further damage from occurring. As a result, the JCDC works closely with the affected entities when the encryption of data has already occurred, giving them insight into the new threat actors' tactics, procedures, and techniques (TTPs) and providing guidance on how to mitigate the vulnerability. 

Additionally, the development of advisories on ransomware actors and variants is also a contribution made to the broader cybersecurity community, providing better network defences on a wider scale by providing information on the actors and variants of the ransomware. To strengthen collective cyber defences, collaborative efforts and information sharing are essential. 

The CISA urges organizations to report any ransomware-related activities, as well as indicators of compromise and techniques for removing ransomware, to their federal law enforcement partner or CISA or their partner IT security company. It helps to immediately respond to an attack, and it also compliments the pool of intelligence available to prevent future attacks from occurring in the future.