Cyber attacks, especially ransomware attacks, are being reduced by Russian cyber criminals due to sanctions. It is one more cause of the many that is causing the war in Ukraine, but in this case something is positive for network security. You have fewer options to launch attacks and be able to request a financial ransom in return.
Sanctions on Russia curb cybercriminals
This has been indicated by the director of cyber security of the NSA, Rob Joyce. He has indicated that the sanctions imposed on Russia by the US, as well as the EU and other nations, are making it difficult for hackers operating from Russian territory. This has caused, especially, ransomware attacks to have decreased significantly in recent months.
But why does this happen? The reason is directly related to the economic sanctions imposed on Russia. Cybercriminals have more difficulty organizing attacks and being able to request a financial ransom from the victim. They cannot receive these payments and therefore have no interest in launching attacks.
Ransomware basically consists of an attacker sneaking malicious software onto the victim’s computer, encrypting the files or the system, and then demanding a financial ransom so that they can use it normally again. But of course, if that payment is not possible due to sanctions, this type of attack makes no sense.
Keep in mind that many of the biggest cyberattacks in recent years, and this also includes ransomware attacks, have been carried out by Russian citizens and groups. Now they have more difficulty and we can say that they are in low hours.
Many hacker groups leave the country
These economic sanctions are also causing groups of cybercriminals that were based in Russia and are now leaving the country. Rob Joyce has also indicated that these sanctions are making it more difficult to buy the necessary infrastructure to launch and prepare these attacks, in addition to the difficulty of moving money and being able to collect.
However, he warns that the problem has not disappeared. He even indicates that many groups are moving to other countries to be able to operate from there and thus get paid without so many problems. Therefore, the security measures that we must take must be present at all times and we must not fall into the trap.
It is essential to have the systems correctly updated, with all the patches installed. This will help reduce the risk of falling victim to attacks such as ransomware, as they often take advantage of flaws in the system that have not been corrected.
It is also important to have security programs. This will help detect threats and remove possible malware that may be present. Therefore, having a good antivirus installed is going to be essential to be protected and always keep the systems and devices on the network in good condition.
But if there is one important thing to avoid ransomware and other threats, it is common sense. It is essential to avoid mistakes, such as opening an attached file that comes to us by e-mail and we don’t really know where it came from, or downloading a document from an unreliable page. The time of a ransomware attack can be very fast.