FBI Says Ransomware Attacks Could Be Triggered by Stock Valuation and Other Financial Events

FBI says ransomware attacks could be triggered by companies as they conduct financial activities, such as stock valuation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation claimed that malicious actors are currently targeting publicly held companies, which could lead to financial exposures.

FBI Says Ransomware Attacks Could Be Triggered by Stock Valuation and Other Financial Events
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"Ransomware actors are targeting companies involved in significant, time-sensitive financial events to incentivize ransom payment by these victims," said FBI via its latest document.

The government agency also explained that they discovered a rising threat towards companies during their financial disclosures or other similar announcements. Aside from this, the FBI said that quarterly earnings reports, as well as mandated SEC filings, M&A activity, and initial public offerings, could also trigger ransomware attacks.

FBI's Ransomware Attack Investigation

According to Threat Post's latest report, the FBI said that impending events such as announcements, mergers, and acquisitions could encourage ransomware gangs to conduct their malicious activities.

FBI Says Ransomware Attacks Could Be Triggered by Stock Valuation and Other Financial Events
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On the other hand, the security agency said that online attackers could also adjust their ransomware attacks depending on the trend of companies' financial activities.

This is currently a serious issue since Microsoft, Google, and other tech firms are announcing their new collaborations to enhance their services and products.

Meanwhile, the FBI's latest report said that it doesn't encourage victims to pay the ransoms to the criminal actors. Based on the latest warning of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the ransomware threat is still a major security concern across the globe.

Recently, we reported that some residents in Ukraine and Switzerland are involved in spreading ransomware across 71 countries.

On the other hand, various researchers predicted that ransomware attacks on the eCommerce sector could increase by 314%.

Ransomware Operation Trends

Bank Info Security reported that there are several rising trends when it comes to ransomware attacks. These include the following:

  • Multi-company attacks
  • Ransomware attackers usually earn less
  • Malware leaks are not that serious
  • Stolen databases pose more threats than people expect
  • Ransomware attackers usually rely on rebranding

For more news updates about ransomware attacks and other security threats, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

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Written by: Griffin Davis

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