Beware of Akira ransomware, CERT-In warns Windows, Linux PC users

It has come to light that bad actors are hood-winking users through tools such as AnyDesk, WinRAR, and PC Hunter, to download ransomware

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, economies around the world were affected a lot and due to lockdown, almost brought everything from working and studies to a halt, but only for a brief time. People were able to overcome the difficulty fast as they make good use of personal computers and smartphones to get things done.

However, not many are aware of the dangers of straying out of safe zones of the Internet and easily trusting unknown people on the web. And, end up infecting their systems. In the latest instance, the state-run Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has warned a new ransomware Akira is on the prowl and is a threat to Windows and Linux-based PCs.

It has come to light that bad actors are hood-winking users through tools such as AnyDesk, WinRAR, and PC Hunter, to download benign-looking files, and once inside the system, Akira ransomware turns on and encrypts all the sensitive information and converts those into files with .akira extensions. It will threaten the victims to pay the ransom or else post explicit content on social media platforms to defame them. And, if it is a corporate company, they threaten to sell trade secrets on the dark web to the highest bidder.

It is revealed that cybercriminals do proper research on victims and try to access latter's environments via VPN services, particularly where users have not enabled multi-factor authentication. The group's actions go unnoticed and end up costly for the victims.

"Rising Threat of Ransomware, the Akira ransomware attack is a stark reminder of the escalating threat landscape in cybersecurity. It's not just about data theft anymore; ransomware attacks like these are a form of digital hostage-taking, where critical data is held for ransom, disrupting businesses and even governments. The Double Extortion tactic applies here. Akira uses a double extortion tactic, which is becoming increasingly common among cybercriminals. Not only is the data encrypted, making it inaccessible to the victims, but it's also threatened to be released publicly on the dark web if the ransom isn't paid. This can lead to further damage, including reputational harm and potential regulatory penalties for data breaches," Amit Jaju, Senior Managing Director, Ankura Consulting Group (India) said to DH.

Here's how to safeguard yourself against ransomware:

-- Never respond to emails or messages from unknown people

-- Never ever click URLs sent from unknown people. Be careful even if it is sent by a colleague or loved one. Study the message and also make sure the website link as 'https'. If it has just 'http', don't go ahead.

-- Never download and install apps or anti-virus apps from third-party store or any unknown websites. If you have never a company that is trying to sell you a anti-virus app, don't install it. Try investing time to do research on the company and if possible ask any tech-savvy person and only then go ahead.

-- Always update your system whenever the computer/mobile-maker sends the OS update or security patch

--Always ensure the sensitive information are backed-up and store in diffrent device or in a secured cloud storage service account

-- System admins at companies have to enforce strict security policies among the employees to have very strong passwords and enable multi-factor validation system

--Also, system admins at corporate companies should perform regular mock drill and also train employees on best and latest practices on how to safeguard themselves online

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