{"id":179264,"date":"2017-10-25T13:43:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-25T18:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ntegrait.com\/have-you-heard-of-bad-rabbit\/"},"modified":"2024-02-06T13:29:56","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T13:29:56","slug":"have-you-heard-of-bad-rabbit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ntegrait.com\/have-you-heard-of-bad-rabbit\/","title":{"rendered":"Have you heard of Bad Rabbit?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Get to Know the Fast-Spreading Malware Threat Before It Gets to Know You<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Bad<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, a ransomware variant called Petya<\/a> spread across North America hitting corporate giants like Merck and FedEx. The virus is so serious that some affected companies were faced with the fact that their data was simply not recoverable. In fact, FedEx and other affected companies faced material financial impact in light of the attack. Merck also experienced financial losses of over $275 million<\/a>, prompting many businesses to take a second look at cybersecurity insurance strategies.<\/p>\n

Petya\u2019s Latest Variant: Bad Rabbit Ransomware Starts Rampage With Hits on Russian & Ukrainian Companies <\/strong><\/p>\n

Business owners took notice when Petya first hit the scene, but there\u2019s good reason for professionals to stay on high-alert. Like most malware viruses, Petya has morphed into countless variants over time. The latest potential Petya variant has been dubbed Bad Rabbit<\/em> and has already affected systems at three Russian websites, an airport in Ukraine and an underground railway in the capital city, of Kiev,\u00a0according to BBC.<\/a> Even worse, Bad Rabbit Shows no signs of stopping as it spreads rapidly across Russia, Ukraine, Germany and now into North America.<\/p>\n

Touching Down in the US: Bad Rabbit Spreads to North America and Has US Department of Homeland Security Taking Notice<\/strong><\/p>\n

Early Wednesday morning, leading anti-virus security company, Avast, reported that the Bad Rabbit virus had made its way to the US. Though specific breach details are difficult to come by, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)<\/a> issued a warning about Bad Rabbit yesterday stating:<\/p>\n

\u201cUS-CERT has received multiple reports of Bad Rabbit\u00a0<\/em>ransomware<\/em> infections in many countries around the world. This\u00a0suspected variant of Petya ransomware is\u00a0malicious software that infects a computer and restricts user access to the infected machine until a ransom is paid to unlock it. US-CERT discourages individuals and organizations from paying the ransom, as this does not guarantee that access will be restored. Using unpatched and unsupported software may increase the risk of proliferation of cybersecurity threats, such as ransomware.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

DHS urged individuals and businesses to take notice and be vigilant in the face of this latest malware attack. To combat the threat, DHS is urging IT professionals to review\u00a0US-CERT Alerts\u00a0TA16-181A and\u00a0TA17-132A<\/a>, each of which describes recent ransomware events.<\/p>\n

While cybercriminals can often be hard to track and prosecute, DHS is urging professionals to recognize the importance of making explicit reports in the case of an attack. The organization asked any potential victims of Bad Rabbit to report ransomware incidents to the\u00a0Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)<\/a> immediately.<\/p>\n

So, How Does It Work? Understanding How the Bad Rabbit Virus Moves in and Takes Company Networks Hostage <\/strong><\/p>\n

Bad Rabbit might sound like a goofy cartoon character but the impacts of this ransomware variant are no laughing matter. The Bad Rabbit virus works swiftly to encrypt the contents of a computer and asks for a payment of 0.05 bitcoins, or about $280 (\u00a3213), according to recent reports.<\/p>\n

The ransomware masquerades itself as a convincing update for Adobe Flash, and once downloaded it attempts to spread within victims\u2019 networks,\u00a0according to The Wall Street Journal.<\/a> In reality, of course, the attacks \u201cdo not utilize any legitimate Flash Player updates nor are they associated with any known Adobe product vulnerabilities,\u201d warns an Adobe spokeswoman.<\/a><\/p>\n

Bad Rabbit in the US: How to Move Faster than the Virus to Protect Your Company\u2019s Data and Continuity<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the face of this looming cyber threat, professionals have one question: how can I protect my business from the Bad Rabbit virus? Cybersecurity professionals across the country have been working to identify concrete ways to prevent the Bad Rabbit virus and help business owners stop the cybercriminals in their tracks. The leading ways to keep your company in the clear are listed below.<\/p>\n

Vaccinate your Machines:<\/u> Early Wednesday morning, a Massachusetts researcher from\u00a0Cybereason<\/a>, claimed that he has a\u00a0vaccine to protect customers from Bad Rabbit.<\/a> Following this short series of fool-proof steps will automatically vaccinate your company\u2019s computers, laptops, and other devices, keeping them safe from Bad Rabbit invasion:<\/p>\n