Ransomware attack at the GWG housing association: Cybercrime arrives in the middle of society
Ransomware attack at the GWG housing association: Cybercrime arrives in the middle of society
(PresseBox) (Bochum, 19.11.20) As it became known yesterday, the Munich GWG housing association has been the victim of a ransomware attack. Much of the company's IT systems and data is affected; even backup servers and other data backups were encrypted in the course of the attack. As always with such attacks, the hackers stated that they would only decrypt the data after paying a ransom.
Incidents like these occur again and again and the current crisis situation with all its consequences has led to an increase in all types of cyber attacks. Many organizations have sent their workforce to work from home in order to minimize risk. The result: everyday communication between colleagues no longer takes place in the usual way. Criminals take advantage of this in a targeted manner and rely on sophisticated social engineering methods in order to induce their victims to act rashly, such as clicking on a link in an email or disclosing confidential data.
The current threat analysisfrom G DATA CyberDefense shows: The number of cyber attacks averted almost doubled from the second to the third quarter as a result of the crisis. As in the current case, the consequences of a successful attack can be devastating for affected organizations. In a world in which more and more areas of life are being digitized and can be accessed from the Internet, cyber attacks pose an immediate danger.
Hauke Gierow, Head of Corporate Communications at G DATA CyberDefense, comments: "The current incident at the housing association shows: Cybercrime is getting closer and closer to people's world. If more and more devices, such as heating controls, are connected to the Internet for efficiency gains, the risk of successful attacks also increases. As early as 2016, the heating in a residential complex in Finland failed for several days in the middle of winter after a denial-of-service attack paralyzed the control system. IT security is a task for society as a whole, in which all actors must take responsibility. "
In order to be able to guarantee normal business operations even in times of crisis, companies must attach the appropriate importance to IT security. On the one hand, it is important to use the latest anti-virus solutions and to keep all devices and applications up to date at all times. On the other hand, employees must be adequately informed about the dangers that they can face while working from home. Simple advice and memos can be a first step. However, in order to adequately prepare employees for the dangers of social engineering, companies should deal with the topic of cyber awareness training.
Further information on these topics and how companies can protect themselves is available at: https://www.gdata.de/tipps-tricks/arbeiten-im-homeoffice
G DATA CyberDefense AG
With comprehensive cyber defense services, the German inventor of the anti-virus enables companies to defend themselves against cybercrime. More than 500 employees ensure the digital security of companies and users. "Made in Germany": With over 30 years of expertise in malware analysis, G DATA conducts research and software development exclusively in Germany. The highest standards of data protection are paramount. As early as 2011, G DATA issued a “no backdoor” guarantee with the “IT Security Made in Germany” seal of trust from TeleTrust eV.
G DATA offers a comprehensive portfolio from anti-virus and endpoint protection to penetration tests and incident response to forensic analyzes, security status checks and cyber awareness training to defend companies effectively. New technologies such as DeepRay protect against malware with artificial intelligence.
Service and support are part of the G DATA Campus in Bochum, which is powered by green electricity, such as the Trojan Horse Café and the bistro.
G DATA solutions are available in 90 countries and have received numerous awards, most recently with a double victory in the PUR award for malware protection and e-mail security.
(PresseBox) (Bochum, 19.11.20) As it became known yesterday, the Munich GWG housing association has been the victim of a ransomware attack. Much of the company's IT systems and data is affected; even backup servers and other data backups were encrypted in the course of the attack. As always with such attacks, the hackers stated that they would only decrypt the data after paying a ransom.
Incidents like these occur again and again and the current crisis situation with all its consequences has led to an increase in all types of cyber attacks. Many organizations have sent their workforce to work from home in order to minimize risk. The result: everyday communication between colleagues no longer takes place in the usual way. Criminals take advantage of this in a targeted manner and rely on sophisticated social engineering methods in order to induce their victims to act rashly, such as clicking on a link in an email or disclosing confidential data.
The current threat analysisfrom G DATA CyberDefense shows: The number of cyber attacks averted almost doubled from the second to the third quarter as a result of the crisis. As in the current case, the consequences of a successful attack can be devastating for affected organizations. In a world in which more and more areas of life are being digitized and can be accessed from the Internet, cyber attacks pose an immediate danger.
Hauke Gierow, Head of Corporate Communications at G DATA CyberDefense, comments: "The current incident at the housing association shows: Cybercrime is getting closer and closer to people's world. If more and more devices, such as heating controls, are connected to the Internet for efficiency gains, the risk of successful attacks also increases. As early as 2016, the heating in a residential complex in Finland failed for several days in the middle of winter after a denial-of-service attack paralyzed the control system. IT security is a task for society as a whole, in which all actors must take responsibility. "
In order to be able to guarantee normal business operations even in times of crisis, companies must attach the appropriate importance to IT security. On the one hand, it is important to use the latest anti-virus solutions and to keep all devices and applications up to date at all times. On the other hand, employees must be adequately informed about the dangers that they can face while working from home. Simple advice and memos can be a first step. However, in order to adequately prepare employees for the dangers of social engineering, companies should deal with the topic of cyber awareness training.
Further information on these topics and how companies can protect themselves is available at: https://www.gdata.de/tipps-tricks/arbeiten-im-homeoffice
G DATA CyberDefense AG
With comprehensive cyber defense services, the German inventor of the anti-virus enables companies to defend themselves against cybercrime. More than 500 employees ensure the digital security of companies and users. "Made in Germany": With over 30 years of expertise in malware analysis, G DATA conducts research and software development exclusively in Germany. The highest standards of data protection are paramount. As early as 2011, G DATA issued a “no backdoor” guarantee with the “IT Security Made in Germany” seal of trust from TeleTrust eV.
G DATA offers a comprehensive portfolio from anti-virus and endpoint protection to penetration tests and incident response to forensic analyzes, security status checks and cyber awareness training to defend companies effectively. New technologies such as DeepRay protect against malware with artificial intelligence.
Service and support are part of the G DATA Campus in Bochum, which is powered by green electricity, such as the Trojan Horse Café and the bistro.
G DATA solutions are available in 90 countries and have received numerous awards, most recently with a double victory in the PUR award for malware protection and e-mail security.
