Massive Wave of Ransomware Hits Oman Hard, Are You Next?

Various news agencies in Oman have reported an exponential rise in ransomware attacks in the shores of Oman. It is believed that many individuals and small enterprises in the country don’t take even basic precautions when using the internet. Use of antivirus and firewalls are still not very common. Moreover, the government in Oman has clamped down on many websites and visitors are not given access to these websites which increases the propensity to use proxies to try and access them.

Use of proxies has been identified as the single largest factor for the proliferation of ransomware attacks in such large numbers in this Middle Eastern country. Also, many citizens use VPN these days. While VPN itself is not the root cause of ransomware attacks, users often access highly insecure websites using these private networks, thereby compromising their security.

Oman Business News in one of its reports has quoted security researcher Bart Parys as saying that there are more than 120 different families of ransomware and new strains are emerging every day. The same report also says that net infrastructure which aids ransomware attacks have seen a growth of 3500% which according to experts is worrying.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a form of malware which hacks into a computer system using different methods and then holds the data and the hardware hostage. Sometimes, the screen may become blank. Important files on the computer are accessed and then renamed with a new file extension. It becomes impossible to open the files unless the victim decides to accede to the demand.

Usually, the demand is ransom in the form of bitcoins. Bitcoins, unlike hard currencies or bank accounts, are almost impossible to trace. There is also no guarantee that even if the victim pays the ransom, the files will be unlocked.

Unfortunately, with the evolution of ransomware, traditional antivirus software is often powerless against them. Ransomware is commonly used in phishing attacks. There are also hackers who can make dangerous files look benign and as soon as the file is clicked, the ransomware takes over. Many security experts warn against the practice of clicking unknown or unsolicited links in emails or anywhere on the web. Sometimes, ransomware are injected into the working memory of a computer and they remain outside those areas which come under the security net of antivirus software and remain untraceable.

The dangerous ransomware market

Times of Oman reports that the estimated $34 million industry of ransomware is causing havoc worldwide. Some attacks have been linked to gangs which have been part of multiple attacks but even programmers with basic knowledge of encryption are getting into the game. There is a vast underworld market which sells different types of ransomware. These are then unleashed from the most unexpected quarters. Locky is a new form of ransomware which has been used extensively in the recent attacks in Oman. There are others also. Most of these hackers may be operating out of Oman and that makes the job of catching them even more difficult.

Don’t be too adventurous when surfing on the net, especially if you are using a payment portal. Always keep backup files and use secured network connections. If you are a citizen of Oman, you would be pleased to know that OCERT is there to protect you and as per their data, they have thwarted 6000 cyber attacks in 2015 alone. You may also contact the Royal Oman Police if you face a ransomware attack.