Ransomware cyberattacks are now pressing global security issue

Cyberattacks, as predicted by many futurists two decades ago, are fast becoming one of the biggest threats to national security around the world.

We are becoming more vulnerable as we become more reliant on technology and as more of us live our lives in a digital space.

Cybersecurity lies at the heart of our societies and will continue to do so, impacting our personal lives, businesses, and vital government services.

Several weeks ago, three US hospitals were forced to shut their doors to all but the most critically ill new patients following a cyberattack. Many patients were turned away and denied healthcare because of the situation. Criminals attacked the hospitals' IT systems, completely disabling normal functions until a demand for a ransom was paid. The three hospitals, all located within the state of Alabama, were forced to redirect patients to other hospitals. Outpatients with booked appointments at the three affected hospitals were advised to call ahead. Within the same week, a hospital in Australia was also forced to shut down and turn away patients through a similar ransomware attack.

Such attacks are becoming increasingly common, and organizations' reliance on technology mean they are often a simple source of income for hackers. A few years ago, criminals had to run into a bank with a loaded sawn-off shotgun to grab the takings and then they needed to evade capture and avoid being identified.

Nowadays, people are making a lot more money by sitting in a secret location with a laptop.

For those who know how to do it, a few simple instructions from a computer can start a process in which they get to sit back and watch untraceable cryptocurrency roll into their digital wallets.

It is estimated that the worldwide cost of cybercrime runs to as much as $600 billion a year. In addition, there are humanitarian costs when the criminals target enterprises such as the hospitals mentioned earlier.

Ransomware attacks are also becoming easier to carry out. Contrary to popular believe, you do not have to be a genius hacker to pull off such a heist. Ransomware kits are sold on the deep web that allow users, with the aid of software tools, to create ransomware with specific capabilities. Ransoms are usually paid into bitcoin accounts, and, worryingly, the attacks do not require much of a technical background.

Organizations can help protect themselves against such attacks by educating employees. The first line of defense against ransomware is awareness of the risk because malicious software is commonly introduced through email links and attachments. Organizations should also be discouraged from paying ransoms, unless absolutely necessary, because paying them only serves to mark the victim as a future cash cow.

Governments around the world should be educating public organizations to recognize such threats, and also working together, to share information regarding cybercriminals. Just as intelligence is shared regarding terrorism, so should a similar approach be taken to ensure that cybercrime does not escalate to cyberterrorism, which is becoming more possible by the hour.

At the moment, we live in a world where a person with a computer and little technical knowledge can cripple entire organizations.

We have found ways to make the bank robbers virtually obsolete. We must also develop ways to ensure cybercrime loses out in its arms race with cybersecurity.