Posted on 07/10/2021 4:19:02 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Fran Finnegan was on vacation in New York just before the Fourth of July weekend when he received a disturbing text message from one of his customers: How come his website was down?
Finnegan quickly searched out a computer to remotely examine his site, which provides access to millions of documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
There he discovered a disaster unfolding in front of his eyes in real time. Hackers had breached his site’s security and had taken over. He watched helplessly as they encrypted all his files, placing them beyond reach.
“As soon as I could, I shut them off,” Finnegan, 70, told me from his San Francisco Bay Area home. “But the damage was done.”
The attack had started the previous weekend, so for four days the hackers had free access, ransacking the raw material of Finnegan’s business like burglars raiding a museum without fear of capture. “I lost everything that essentially makes up my whole operation.”
When the hackers were done, they left Finnegan a message with a skull and crossbones on a sinister black background, reading “Your Files Are Encrypted” and providing an email address to which he could write to learn the cost of a decryption key to restore his files.
It was yet another extortionate ransomware attack, in which hackers effectively kidnap a business’s digital lifeblood and offer to restore it—for a price.
These attacks are becoming almost daily occurrences, though they’re typically aimed at big businesses with the wherewithal to pay a multimillion-dollar ransom (generally demanded in bitcoin or another digital currency).
The targets often to have the sort of commercial, political or economic footprint—think hospital systems, universities and government agencies—that make prompt resolutions imperative.
(Excerpt) Read more at theepochtimes.com ...
Jesus saves and so should you!
So true. I used to have them run every night for the organization I worked for. 30 daily files with monthly master files stored in a secure location. In one catastrophe, rebuilt the server within hours.
He must not have been on Biden’s list....
I wonder if there is now insurance to protect against hackers.
In light of all these hacks, how secure is Azure, AWS, or any cloud or online backup service?
Insurance doesn’t cover negligence.
Can’t an operating system be set to limit encryption to owner approved programs?
Of course, but the fundamental thing hackers do is search for zero-day vulnerabilities (vulnerabilities the developers are not yet aware of) to bypass it and get root access.
Once they have root access, they can do anything they want from anywhere they want.
Ha!
If an unpatched exploit was involved, no.
It’s baffling why companies like this dont have backups of critical data. Thats like running a business without having fire insurance for your buildings, no liability insurance and having company vehicles drive around with spare tires and vehicle insurance.
Two things……
Maybe, he didn’t think he was big enough or had information that these folks would want
OR
What did Fran Finnegan have in those files? That would be question Number 1, from me
As stated in the excerpt, hackers go after big fish, with lots to lose, a priority in getting their service restored, and the ability to write a large check.
It doesn’t appear to be the case here or maybe he was a bit fish, albeit one that has been flying under the radar.
If the files are from the SEC or such, that would be information on stocks and banking issues, correct? Was he targeted for what he has/had on there? Was he targeted so information could be taken and erased from the files to protect someone?
I can’t tell you how many times I have said this.....computers are going to kill us all someday
Sad...
But, why would a rational business owner bet 24 years of work and his livelihood on just one copy of the product he sells?
That's a good question. If the hackers break into any of their servers, then we're not talking about just businesses being hit. Huge chunks of the economy could be compromised.
Agreed. It really is amazing people do not back up their critical business data on a daily basis.
Second thought...
Are these the same hackers who send me photos of beautiful young Russian women who are searching for a husband in the USA?
At least they weren’t attacking sites Biden told the Russians to leave alone. All others were okay. . .
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