Ransomware Surge: 4 Cyber Threat Groups Wreaking Havoc in February 2025

Ransomware Surge: 4 Cyber Threat Groups Wreaking Havoc in February 2025 The cybersecurity landscape continues to face relentless attacks from organized ransomware groups. In February alone, four major threat actors—Cactus, RansomHub, Play, and Medusa—have been particularly active, [...]

Ransomware Surge: 4 Cyber Threat Groups Wreaking Havoc in February 20252025-02-25T11:47:59-08:00

Steps to Data Recovery Post-Ransomware

Understanding the Ransomware Threat: Setting the Scene for Data Recovery Data recovery post-ransomware has become an increasingly critical operation for businesses of all sizes. As ransomware attacks continue to surge, the ability to recover compromised data swiftly dictates our resilience [...]

Steps to Data Recovery Post-Ransomware2024-11-01T12:38:29-07:00

Effective Cyber Breach Containment Services

Rise of Cybersecurity Threats and the Need for Containment Cyber breach containment services have become a critical component of organizational resilience in battling the ever-evolving cybersecurity threats. In recent times, the landscape of digital threats has expanded at an alarming [...]

Effective Cyber Breach Containment Services2024-10-22T16:12:58-07:00

New SharpRhino Malware Being Used By Ransomware Gangs to Attack IT Workers

The Hunters International ransomware group, believed to be a rebranding of the Hive ransomware group due to code similarities, is targeting IT workers with their new malware, SharpRhino. This C# remote access trojan (RAT) enables attackers to infiltrate systems, escalate [...]

New SharpRhino Malware Being Used By Ransomware Gangs to Attack IT Workers2024-08-09T13:19:58-07:00

Ransomware v2.0 Recovery – Now, encrypted or deleted backups!

Warning!!! We have entered a new, even more malicious, era for ransomware that is hitting mid-market companies particularly hard, with deleted or encrypted backups. The two stories I share below are chilling… For the last five years or so, ransomware [...]

Ransomware v2.0 Recovery – Now, encrypted or deleted backups!2021-01-28T17:48:31-08:00

Sextortion: The New Threat No One is Talking About

Written by Alvaka Networks CEO, Oli Thordarson. Oli discusses a client's experience with a sextortion scam email and provides some helpful suggestions on how to both handle and avoid this type of online phishing. I got a call from a [...]

Sextortion: The New Threat No One is Talking About2024-03-14T00:07:27-07:00

Ransomware Training for End-Users – Be Ransomware Aware

Educate your users - Don’t let them be tricked into downloading ransomware/malware

 Everyone should follow this advice:

  1. Be very cautious when opening an attachment or clicking a link in an email, instant message, or post on social networks (like Facebook)—even if you know the sender. If you are suspicious, call to ask the sender if they sent it.  If not, delete it.
  2. The attack can look like it is from an official sources like banks, UPS, FedEx, USPS, eFax, etc. This has been the most common attack method to date.
  3. If an e-mail gets blocked and quarantined by your spam filter, be very certain about the message and any attachments before you release it from quarantine.  One user recently got burned this way.
  4. Avoid clicking Agree, OK, or I accept in banner ads in unexpected pop-up windows with warnings or offers to remove spyware or viruses, or on websites that may not seem legitimate. These are usually bogus. Call your IT specialist if you are concerned.
Ransomware Training for End-Users – Be Ransomware Aware2021-01-28T20:16:40-08:00

Here is the reason your antivirus isn’t working anymore

Irvine, CA - Even the biggest of the antivirus software vendors are beginning to give up the fight against malware. The traditional ways of fighting just don’t work anymore. It is too reactive and labor intensive… not to mention just inherently flawed at this point. If you have been to our lunch and learns the past couple of years you know that at Alvaka Networks we down-play significantly the role and importance of firewalls and AV software. Sure you need them, but oftentimes users rely on those two tactics at the neglect of other often more important and effective solutions. If you want a comprehensive solution based upon tools you likely already own you should read this – What 12 Security Things Should I Focus on to Be Defensible in 2016? These are just as valid for 2017.

What is the breaking news on the demise of antivirus software as we know it? Well, it simply does not work well today and in the future. Here is a link to...

Here is the reason your antivirus isn’t working anymore2017-06-27T15:53:49-07:00

New statistics on ransomware

Chicago, IL - I sat in on a cybersecurity presentation by anti-virus/malware vendor Webroot. If you have not checked it out it is a good product that represents the next generation of protection in my opinion.

The slide deck had a few interesting graphic factoids I thought I would share.

New statistics on ransomware2017-06-27T15:54:09-07:00

New Virulent, Wide-Spread and Expensive Ransomware Outbreak Coming to You Soon

Orange County, CA - We have seen a surge in ransomware attacks in the past week.  While only two Alvaka clients have gotten hit, they are a tale of different system administration acumen. 

1.  A multi-state firm got hit with the latest breed of ransomware on Friday.  Where an otherwise non-event for the most part went wrong was that a key user insisted on having elevated administrative rights for their IT infrastructure.  Instead of using a regular user account, with very limited user rights for day-to-day activities, this more powerful account, when struck by the ransomware, infected all the important file shares of the firm, including the branch location file stores.  Fortunately they had good backups, but because of poor folder naming conventions and structures it took the guys in our Alvaka Networks’ Network Operations Center about 28 hours straight to get all the user permissions back in order for client to get back to work.  The lack of least-permissions as used by this client goes in direct opposition to what we recommend at Alvaka.  Least-permissions is the practice of using accounts that grant the user to only the locations on the network for which they have a business need to access.

2.  In another example, that struck today, a $200m manufacturer/distributor got hit by the same ransomware.  This time it was a Jr executive.  He saw some problems with his system, but did not report the problem not knowing what it was and went home.  The problem was detected after he left, but the outcome was very different than the prior scenario.  Why?  Because this user only...

New Virulent, Wide-Spread and Expensive Ransomware Outbreak Coming to You Soon2024-03-14T00:20:41-07:00