Ransomware Spreads Fear and Terror

In May 2019, the US city of Baltimore in Maryland suffered a ransomware attack on the city administration’s servers. The type of ransomware used there is called RobbinHood.

Baltimore was the second city to fall victim to this type of attack. Greenville in North Carolina has also been affected.

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about the ransomware attack in Baltimore, what ransomware actually is, how to recognise it and what you can do about it.

Ransomware – The Blackmail Software

Ransomware is also known as scareware or blackmail software. That sounds pretty scary – and it is. This is because hackers can use this software to restrict access to other people’s computer systems and demand a ransom to remove these restrictions. The ransomware is created by the hackers themselves, and it is of course essential to have a thorough knowledge of software programming. It can eventually find its way onto your computer via an email attachment or by visiting a malware-infected website.

The Attack on Baltimore

Since 7 May 2019, the servers of the Baltimore City government have been under the malicious influence of blackmail software called RobbinHood. Since this attack, various IT systems have not functioned to this day, as the city has refused to pay the blackmailers the sum of 13 bitcoins, which corresponds to a current equivalent of 110,387.04 euros. As a result, certain documents could not be issued for a while and vehicles could not be towed away. The city council is still unable to issue water bills. The worst thing about this attack was probably that the email systems, emergency call centre and central information hotline were disabled. The exact data and systems affected are not being disclosed for tactical reasons. The FBI is investigating in order to track down the perpetrators as quickly as possible.

Damage Forecast for The City of Baltimore

The IT department of Baltimore City Council expects to spend around ten million dollars by the end of the year to procure suitable hardware and consult external experts. Added to this is a further 8.2 million dollars (7.21 million euros) in damages due to delayed or completely cancelled revenue. This leads to a total loss estimate of 18.2 million dollars (16.01 million euros).

Why didn’t the city pay the ransom? The financial damage caused by the ransomware attack exceeds the ransom demand by a factor of 145(!) Together with the FBI, the city of Baltimore decided not to pay the ransom, because ultimately no one could guarantee that the criminals would actually release the encrypted data after payment. There is also the possibility that the criminals are planning further preparations for further blackmail of the city of Baltimore.

Detect Ransomware Quickly and Easily

If your computer has been infected with ransomware, you will probably notice this immediately. The ransomware blocks access to your computer. This means that if you are infected, you will probably no longer be able to access your device and the information stored on it.

Protective Measures Against Ransomware

One hundred per cent security is not desirable. There are a handful of measures you can take to adequately protect your devices against ransomware.

1. Carry out regular backups and create backup copies on external storage media such as hard drives, USB sticks, optical media, etc.
2. Use up-to-date virus protection software
3. Keep the operating system up to date with automatic updates
4. Carry out updates and upgrades to software such as Internet browsers, Office applications and programmes for reading PDFs
5. Installing an anti-ransomware tool against various types of malware.

If you do find ransomware on your computer, you should use the ransomware removal tool of your antivirus software to safely remove it.

Conclusion: Take Important Measures Against Ransomware

Not only in the case of ransomware attacks, but also with other malware, it is important to take all important measures in advance to minimise the damage as much as possible. This is because companies in particular are quick to underestimate the costs of damage to hardware and hiring experts, which can quickly become immeasurable. If there is a suspicion that computers have been infected, prior preparation is essential for the distribution of an attack.