A Guide To Navigating Cyberattacks Involving Ransom Demands

Given the ongoing prevalence of ransomware incidents, companies should be prepared and know what to expect in the event your organization is suddenly faced data exfiltration followed by ransom demands.

First, organizations should be aware of the various types of ransomware attacks. Some common ones include:

• Single Extortion. This is where a threat actor encrypts files and systems and demands a ransom payment in exchange for a decryption key. The victim loses access to files and systems but not possession. Over time, companies adapted to single extortion attacks by improving data backups.
• Double Extortion. In this type of attack, the threat actor encrypts and exfiltrates files. The threat actor threatens to publish the exfiltrated files on a "name and shame" data leak site or the Dark Web.¹