Summary
Cybercriminals are part of a growing industry. They look to exploit weaknesses in your cybersecurity to steal information, cause massive disruption, and sell data. Ransomware is the latest in a long line of malware tools that have been used to extort money, from individuals to large organizations.
With the number of cyberattacks growing at an unprecedented rate, it's important that you understand the threat landscape facing you or an organization. Attacks come in several different ways, many of which can be thwarted by a robust and resilient security perimeter. Understanding the entry points a cybercriminal uses will allow you to tighten your security or take steps to prevent or plug the holes they can use.
The massive profitability of ransomware has led to a change in the way organized cybercriminals operate, creating a new business model called ransomware-as-a-service, which makes the route to entry for would-be cybercriminals easier and more lucrative. This has given rise to ransomware families, which ultimately makes them easier to detect and protect against.
Now that you've completed this module, you can:
- Describe the threat landscape and different attack vectors.
- Describe entry points and how they're used to breach your security.
- Describe how ransomware has become more specialized.