Well, hello there! Let’s gather around the digital fireplace for a bit of a chinwag about cyber security, specifically the nuisance that is ransomware. This bit of bother keeps popping up like that pesky mole in the whack-a-mole game, doesn’t it?
We’ve got the ‘Play’ lot causing all sorts of mischief, and old names like ‘LockBit’ making a not-so-welcome comeback. But let’s press on, for there’s another troublesome newbie on the block – a digital ne’er-do-well known as ‘Codefinger.’ These scoundrels are focused on those in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) playground – yes, those with the S3 buckets. Read on, and you’ll be in the know about all this.
So, this Codefinger mischief was confirmed recently by the capable lads and lasses at the Halcyon threat research team. They are a vigilant group, always keeping a keen eye out for such shenanigans. They’re saying this campaign essentially hijacks AWS’s own server-side encryption method, the fancy-pants named SSE-C, and turns it against the user. How so, you wonder? Well, the baddies use the encryption process to lock up the user’s data, and then demand a pretty penny in exchange for the keys to unlock it!
Yeah, it’s downright nasty! The main problem with this, according to our friends at Halcyon, is the nature of that darn server-side encryption. It melds effortlessly with AWS’s secure encryption infrastructure, so once the data is locked away and encrypted by the villain, there’s no way of getting it back without the key from the attacker. Talk about putting you between a rock and a hard place!
But chin up! Being aware of such threats, having a good digital hygiene routine, and implementing strong security controls can help protect you. Always remember in cybersecurity, as with many things in life, prevention is always better than a cure.
Just goes to show the importance of keeping one’s digital ducks in a row, right? Because in the digital world, much like the real one, there’s always a risk of some blighter trying to nick your stuff. So, be sure you are always solid and secure, my friends!
Now get the kettle on, we need some tea after all that talk. Might have accidentally aged a year or two just discussing ransomware!
by Parker Bytes
