Cyber Security Magazine
In the Netherlands, the alarm about cyber attacks and ransomware propagation – a virus that once downloaded, encrypts files on the system – turns into a crisis “that endangers the security of the country,” Writes Il Fatto Quotidiano.
The alarm was launched by three large Dutch cybersecurity companies (Eye, Hunt & Hackett, and Northwave), who spoke to the national press to call for urgent government intervention. Ransomware attacks, the three experts explain, are growing, and requests for help are far too many to be dealt with by Dutch companies alone.
Hackers often demand a ransom to restore the attacked sites‘ full functionality but paying for it does not guarantee that they will also unlock the files. To stop the crisis, the Dutch police launched the No More Ransom platform, which contains decryption codes for many types of ransomware. Victims of attacks are encouraged to check the platform before considering paying the ransom.
The “No More Ransom” website is an initiative by the National High Tech Crime Unit of the Netherlands’ police, Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Kaspersky, and McAfee to help ransomware victims retrieve their encrypted data without having to pay the criminals.
Since it is much easier to avoid the threat than to fight against it once the system is affected, the project aims to educate users about how ransomware works and what countermeasures can be taken to prevent infection effectively. This initiative is open to other public and private parties.
Among other things, the ransomware node is also looking closely at Italy, where in recent days, the case of the Lazio region has been the focus of the press. However, the region was not the main target of the attack, which primarily targeted a leading Italian internet security service provider on which various institutional subjects and several companies relied, where the virus spread.
