How Ransomware Attack Happens by Cybercriminals? [3 Steps Guide]

Digital technology has made a huge positive difference to our lives and has helped to revolutionize the way in which we live them. We can d...

Digital technology has made a huge positive difference to our lives and has helped to revolutionize the way in which we live them. We can do everything these days from shop from the comfort of our homes to connect with people from around the world with the touch of a button on social media. It is not just individuals that have benefitted from modern tech, but also businesses with many coming to rely on technology.

Sadly, criminals have also been able to benefit from advancements in technology coupled with our increased reliance on modern tech. This is something that has enabled them to launch all sorts of digital attacks including ransomware attacks on businesses. Many businesses fall victim to this type of attack, and this can result in huge devastation and financial losses for the business. In this article, we will look at the steps involved when a cybercriminal launches a ransomware attack.

How Ransomware Attack Happens by Cybercriminals?

What Steps Are Involved?

When cybercriminals launch this type of attack, there are a few key processes that take place. Some of these are:

1. Your Systems Are Infected

The first stage of the process is where your systems are infected with the virus, which is something the criminals do using a variety of common methods. For instance, they may use dodgy websites, phishing scams, or send malicious attachments via email to gain entry to your systems. This then installs the ransomware, which then contacts the command and control server of the criminals and generates cryptographic keys. These are then used on the local system to encrypt the files on local systems and networks that it comes across.

2. Demands Are Made

After this, the cybercriminals are in a position to demand their ransom, which is usually a huge sum of money from the business. The demands are made with the promise that once the ransom is paid, the files and data will be decrypted, and the business can once again gain access to them. These demands can be quite threatening in nature, and they make it very clear what the consequences will be if the business does not pay the ransom. As a result, there are many businesses that simply pay up in the hope that they can get back to normal.

3. Decryption Takes Place (or Not!)

The third stage should be where the cybercriminals decrypt the files and data after being paid the ransom they demanded. However, it is important to keep in mind that this does not always happen. There are many cases where the business pays the ransom as per the demands of the criminals, but their files and data are still not decrypted so they still cannot gain access. Once the criminals have been paid the money, many will not bother following through with the decryption and this can cause even bigger issues for the business.

Given the huge damage that ransomware attacks can cause for businesses, it is vital that you take steps to protect yours. You should always have a clean backup, preferably a cloud-based one, and use tools such as ransomware removal tools.