Riaan 
Don Farrall/Getty Izithombe
NgoFebhuwari, abahlaseli beqembu elizinze e-Russia le-BlackCat lahlasela udokotela e-Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, okuyingxenye ye-Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN). Ngaleso sikhathi, i-LVHN kusho ukuthi ukuhlasela “kuhilele” uhlelo lwezithombe zesiguli oluhlobene nokwelashwa kwe-radiation oncology. Iqembu lezempilo lathi iBlackCat ikhiphe isicelo sesihlengo, “kodwa i-LVHN yenqaba ukukhokha leli bhizinisi lobugebengu.”
Ngemva kwamasonto ambalwa, iBlackCat yasabisa ngokushicilela idatha eyebiwe ohlelweni. “Ibhulogi yethu ilandelwa yimithombo yezindaba eminingi yomhlaba, icala lizomenyezelwa kabanzi futhi lizodala umonakalo omkhulu ebhizinisini lakho,” kubhala uBlackCat engosini yabo yewebhu emnyama. “Isikhathi sakho siyaphela. Sikulungele ukuthulula amandla ethu aphelele kuwe!” Abahlaseli babe sebekhipha izithombe-skrini ezintathu zeziguli ezinomdlavuza ezithola ukwelashwa ngemisebe kanye nemibhalo eyisikhombisa ehlanganisa imininingwane yesiguli.
Izithombe zezokwelapha ziyingcaca futhi zisondelene, zibonisa amabele eziguli anqunu ngama-engeli ahlukahlukene kanye nezindawo. Futhi ngenkathi izibhedlela kanye nezikhungo zokunakekelwa kwezempilo zine kudala a intandokazi okuhlosiwe yamaqembu ezigebengu ze-ransomware, abacwaningi bathi isimo e-LVHN singase sibonise ushintsho ekuphelelweni yithemba kwabahlaseli kanye nokuzimisela ukweqisa ngendlela enesihluku njengoba izinhloso ze-ransomware ziya ngokuya zenqaba ukukhokha.
“Njengoba zimbalwa izisulu ezikhokha inhlawulo, abalingisi be-ransomware baya beba nolaka ezenzweni zabo zokuqola,” kusho u-Allan Liska, umhlaziyi wenkampani yezokuphepha iRecord Future esebenza nge-ransomware. “Ngicabanga ukuthi sizobona okuningi kwalokho. Ilandela eduze izinqubo ezigamekweni zokuthumba, lapho lapho imindeni yezisulu yenqaba ukukhokha, abathumbi bangase bathumele indlebe noma enye ingxenye yomzimba yesisulu.”
Abaphenyi bathi esinye isibonelo salokhu kudlondlobala okunesihluku sifike ngoLwesibili lapho iqembu lezigelekeqe esafufusa iMedusa lishicilela imininingwane eyisampula eyebiwe eMinneapolis Public Schools ekuhlaselweni kwangoFebhuwari okuza nesidingo sesihlengo esingu-$1 million. Lezi zithombe eziputshuziwe zibandakanya ukuskenwa kwamanothi abhalwe ngesandla achaza izinsolo zokuhlukumeza ngokocansi namagama omfundi wesilisa nabafundi ababili besifazane ababandakanyeka kulesi sigameko.
“Sicela uqaphele, i-MPS ayikaze ikhokhe isihlengo,” kusho isifunda sesikole saseMinnesota isitatimende ekuqaleni kuka-March. Isifunda sesikole sibhalisa abafundi abangaphezu kuka-36,000, kodwa idatha ngokusobala iqukethe amarekhodi ahlobene nabafundi, abasebenzi, nabazali abahlehlela emuva ku-1995. Ngesonto eledlule, iMedusa ithumele ividiyo yemizuzu engu-50 lapho abahlaseli bebonakala beskrola futhi babuyekeze konke. idatha abayintshontshe esikoleni, indlela engajwayelekile yokukhangisa ukuthi yiluphi ulwazi abanalo njengamanje. IMedusa inikezela ngezinkinobho ezintathu kusizindalwazi sayo esimnyama, esisodwa ngesanoma ngubani ukuthi akhokhe isigidi esingu-$1 ukuze athenge idatha ye-MPS eyebiwe, eyodwa eyesifunda sesikole uqobo ukukhokha isihlengo futhi idatha eyebiwe isulwe, kanye neyodwa ukuthi akhokhe u-$50,000 ukuze inwebe. umnqamulajuqu wesihlengo ngosuku olulodwa.
“Okuphawulekayo lapha, ngicabanga ukuthi, ukuthi esikhathini esidlule amaqembu ezigebengu bekumele njalo alinganise phakathi kokucindezela izisulu zawo ukuba zikhokhe futhi zingenzi izinto ezimbi, ezimbi, ezimbi lezi izisulu ezingafuni ukubhekana nazo,” kusho uBrett Callow, umhlaziyi wosongo enkampanini elwa namagciwane i-Emsisoft. “Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi okuhlosiwe akukhokhi njalo, amaqembu ezigebengu manje aphusha kanzima. Kubi i-PR ukuhlaselwa kwe-ransomware, kodwa akukubi njengoba kwakunjalo ngaphambili—futhi kubi ngempela i-PR ukubonakala ukhokha inhlangano eyenza izinto ezimbi nezinyanyekayo.”
Ingcindezi yomphakathi iyakhula impela. Ephendula izithombe zesiguli eziputshuziwe kuleli sonto, ngokwesibonelo, i-LVHN ithe esitatimendeni, “Lesi senzo sobugebengu esingenanembeza sisebenzisa ithuba leziguli ezilashelwa umdlavuza, kanti i-LVHN iyakugxeka lokhu kuziphatha okubi.”
I-FBI Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3) ithe ngonyaka wayo Umbiko Wobugebengu Be-inthanethi kuleli sonto ithole imibiko engama-2,385 mayelana nokuhlaselwa kwe-ransomware ngo-2022, okuhlanganisa ukulahleka kwezigidi ezingama- $ 34.3. Izinombolo zehle zisuka ku-3,729 wezikhalazo ze-ransomware kanye no- $49 wezigidi ekulahlekeni okuphelele ngo-2021. “Kube yinselele ku-FBI ukuthola inani langempela lezisulu ze-ransomware njengoba izifo eziningi zingabikwa kwabomthetho,” kuphawula umbiko.
Kodwa lo mbiko ubiza ngokuqondile ukuziphatha okukhulayo nokunonya okukhulu. “Ngo-2022, i-IC3 ibone ukwanda kweqhinga lokuphanga elisetshenziselwa ukusiza i-ransomware,” kubhala i-FBI. “Abalingiswa abasabisayo bacindezela izisulu ukuthi zikhokhe ngokusabisa ngokushicilela imininingwane eyebiwe uma zingasikhokhi isihlengo.”
Ngandlela thize, ushintsho luwuphawu oluhle lokuthi imizamo yokulwa ne-ransomware ziyasebenza. Uma izinhlangano ezanele zinezinsiza namathuluzi okumelana nokukhokha izihlengo, abahlaseli bangase bangakwazi ukukhiqiza imali abayifunayo futhi, ngokufanelekile, bazoyilahla ngokuphelele i-ransomware. Kodwa lokho kwenza lokhu kushintshela kumaqhinga anamandla kube yisikhathi esiyingozi.
“Empeleni asikaze sizibone izinto ezinjengalezi ngaphambilini. Amaqembu enze izinto ezingezinhle, kodwa kwakungabantu abadala ababeqondiswe kubo, kwakungezona iziguli ezinomdlavuza noma izingane zesikole,” kusho uCallow ka-Emsisoft. “Ngiyethemba ukuthi la maqhinga azobaluma ezintanjeni izinkampani zithi cha, ngeke sibonakale sixhasa inhlangano eyenza lezi zigilamkhuba. Ithemba lami lelo vele. Ukuthi bazosabela ngaleyo ndlela yini kusazobonakala.”
Le ndaba yavela ekuqaleni wired.com.
