WASHINGTON: Russia-based hackers are stepping up ransomware attacks against major US firms seeking to cripple computer networks if their demands for millions of dollars are not met, security researchers are warning.

The cybersecurity firm Symantec on Thursday said it had identified at least 31 targets in the United States, including eight Fortune 500 companies.

"The attackers behind this threat appear to be skilled and experienced, capable of penetrating some of the most well protected corporations, stealing credentials, and moving with ease across their networks. As such, WastedLocker is a highly dangerous piece of ransomware," said the threat intelligence team of Broadcom-owned Symantec in its alert.

"At least 31 customer organizations have been attacked, meaning the total number of attacks may be much higher.

Comments

Comments are closed.