Guarding against ransomware attacks

The inter-agency Counter Ransomware Task Force has recommended that the Government focus on four pillars of action to counter an increasing threat. First, it is important to strengthen the defences of high-risk targets such as government agencies, critical information infrastructure and businesses, to make it harder for ransomware attackers to launch successful attacks. Second, it is essential to disrupt the ransomware business model to reduce the payoff for such attacks. The third pillar is the availability of support recovery so that victims of such attacks do not feel pressured to pay the ransom, which fuels the ransomware industry. The fourth pillar is the need to work with international partners to ensure a coordinated global approach to countering ransomware.

These are practical suggestions by the task force meant to guard against attacks that could be serious threats to national security, economic security and critical information infrastructure. The report points out that while ransomware attacks in the past tended to be isolated and sporadic, and typically affected individuals or a handful of computers in companies, the scale and impact of attacks in recent years have changed. Ransomware criminals now possess the means to launch attacks that target or lock up hundreds, if not thousands, of computers simultaneously. As for impact, attacks could produce large-scale physical harm, such as by disrupting essential supplies of services and amenities. Ransomware is an international industry characterised by increasing sophistication, so much so that there is a complex ecosystem that includes ransomware operators, affiliates and developers.