Resources

Are you concerned about the rise of ransomware attacks and the potential impact they could have on your organization? Do you feel like you're not prepared to handle a ransomware negotiation if one were to occur? If so, you won't want to miss the upcoming webinar presented by our partners at Zyston titled "Ransomware Negotiator: Ask Me Anything" on May 4 at 11am CST.

In a recent article published in SC Magazine, author Jon Gold explores why the size of a cyber criminal organization is a key factor in determining its success. Gold cites GroupSense CEO Kurtis Minder, who believes that the larger the organization, the more successful it will be due to its ability to specialize and delegate tasks.

Increasing cyber resiliency in critical infrastructure (CI) is a monumental challenge for many reasons. In past blogs and reports, we’ve covered some of the biggest cyber threats that CI organizations face and the implications of cyber attacks against CI, which can endanger our national security and emergency response, and put people in harm’s way. The recent national cybersecurity strategy released by the Biden administration places a strong emphasis on CI agencies, which has spurred directives from agencies like the TSA (Transportation Security Agency) to meet the strategic objectives.

Kurtis Minder, GroupSense CEO, was featured in a March 27 article by the Washington Post. The article reports that some of Twitter's source code has been leaked online by a user known as "FreeSpeechEnthusiast," according to a legal filing by Twitter that is seeking to identify the leaker.

GroupSense CEO Kurtis Minder was featured in TechTarget's article, "Cyber insurance carriers' expanding role in incident response." The article discusses the growing importance of cyber insurance carriers and notes that cyber insurance carriers are increasingly playing a more active role in helping their clients respond to cyber incidents. This includes providing access to incident response (IR) experts, as well as offering risk management advice and tools to help prevent future incidents.

Ransomware attacks and other cybersecurity threats are hitting companies across the federal supply chain, leaving businesses and government agencies vulnerable to major data breaches and financial losses. In this episode of "Security Clearance Insecurity," host Lyndy Kyzer speaks with GroupSense CEO, Kurtis Minder, about the latest cyber threats and best practices for protecting against them.

Join our partner NTT Data Services for their upcoming webinar panel, "The Evolving Threat of Ransomware," this March 29. GroupSense CEO Kurtis Minder will join industry experts to talk about the rapidly changing world of ransomware threats. The panelists will dissect modern ransomware attacks that jeopardize businesses across various sectors. Register here to save your spot.

Discover how a new generation of cybercriminals and their ransomware-as-a-service schemes are putting SME/SMBs in the crosshairs, launching the effectiveness and volume of ransomware to unprecedented heights. Learn how these cunning operators exploit the primal fears of data loss and exposure to create a sense of urgency, driving their victims to act impulsively.

Ransomware operators prey on the fear of data loss which sparks emotions that drive their targets to react right away. The fear of embarrassment and their sensitive data being exposed to the world increases the stakes of every ransomware attack.

Know the panelists:
Haroon Malik: Director – NTT Data
Kurtis Minder: CEO - GroupSense
Morgan Wright: Chief Security Advisor - SentinelOne
Brian Stockbrugger: Sr. Cloud Security Architect - Microsoft
Mike Landeck: Director of Security Services - NTT DATA Services
Salvatore Perlangeli: Heart of Threat Defense Practice - NTT DATA Italia

GroupSense CEO Kurtis Minder was featured in the Tuesday, March 14 issue of the Axios Codebook Newsletter. The "1 big thing" section is focused on the increasing threat posed by ransomware gangs and their extreme blackmail tactics. These cyber criminals have been fine-tuning their strategies to maximize their profits and inflict more damage on their victims. Ransomware attacks involve the use of malware that encrypts a victim's files, making them inaccessible until a ransom is paid. The attackers typically demand payment in cryptocurrency, making it difficult to track the money and identify the criminals.

Ransomware gangs have evolved their tactics, not only encrypting victims' files but also stealing sensitive data before locking it down. This technique is called "double extortion," where the criminals threaten to publish or sell the data if the ransom is not paid. The gangs are also targeting larger organizations and demanding higher ransoms, with some demanding payments of up to $50 million.

The section also highlights Kurtis' contributions to the fight against ransomware. He has been a vocal advocate for proactive measures to prevent ransomware attacks, including monitoring networks for signs of an attack and training employees to recognize phishing and social engineering tactics commonly used by ransomware gangs. For many organizations, these measures can prevent cyber attacks and ransomware attacks.

Kurtis' expertise in ransomware has led him to create a "Ransomware Task Force" that includes experts from both the public and private sectors. The task force's goal is to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat ransomware, including prevention, response, and recovery measures. The task force has already published a report with recommendations for improving ransomware defenses, and Kurtis has been actively promoting these recommendations to policymakers and business leaders. Check out the full newsletter here.

At first glance, Biden’s recently released National Cybersecurity Strategy appears comprehensive and forward-thinking. It focuses on a number of areas such as strengthening the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), developing new technologies to detect threats, and increasing international cooperation to fight transnational cybercrime. However, the strategic initiatives laid out in the document are not funded, and in many cases, are not possible without fundamental changes to organizations and their systems. In this blog, we will focus on strategic initiatives 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, and 3.3.

Cybercriminals are opportunistic by nature. Repeatable methods like ransomware and business email compromise (BEC) attacks are a quick and easy way for criminals to make money. Fortunately, there are steps your organization can take to prevent these attacks from happening that focus on simple, proactive methods of cybersecurity. Download our guide to get actionable advice today.