We’ve been alerted to a series of ransomware threats to companies primarily in the Northamptonshire area of the East Midlands, with the latest targeting a business in the manufacturing and logistics sector.

During this latest spate of ransomware attacks in Northamptonshire, every strain has been different, although there is a common theme between the setup of these organisations and how threat actors are leveraging this to perform their attacks.

Threat actors employ various methods to deliver ransomware, such as malicious attachments or links in emails; pirated software websites, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, free file hosting sites, and third-party downloaders. They also use fake software updates and Trojans to infect computers with malware.

Ransomware is increasingly being deployed by attackers who have gained access remotely via exposed services such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), or unpatched remote access devices.

To prevent the risks of attack, organisations should:

• disable RDP (if it’s not needed)
• enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• use a VPN that meets NCSC recommendations
• use least privilege model for providing remote access
• patch all known vulnerabilities.

The NCSC has an in-depth guide on their website entitled 'Mitigating malware and ransomware attacks', and we have numerous blogs on the topic of ransomware, including a basic guide to ransomware: Ransomware: What you NEED to know.

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Reporting

Report all Fraud and Cybercrime to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report SMS scams by forwarding the original message to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad).