Clop Ransomware Attacks: How Should CIOs Respond?

A series of cyber attacks by a ransomware group called Clop has affected a number of industries from household goods to healthcare. The group targeted a zero-day vulnerability in Fortra’s GoAnywhere MFT file-transfer tool, which lets companies securely exchange files. Fortra released a patch on Feb. 7. More than 3,000 organizations use GoAnywhere, according to Fortra. Procter & Gamble reported that hackers used a vulnerability in GoAnywhere MFT to steal employee information. Meanwhile, Hatch Bank reported unauthorized access to GoAnywhere from Jan. 30-31, according to The Washington Post. Other organizations affected include Community Health Systems, Hitachi Energy, data security company Rubrik, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Clop, which first surfaced in February 2019, claims to have 130 victims, according to BleepingComputer. The National Institute of Standards and Technology identifies the GoAnywhere vulnerability as CVE-2023-0669. Cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs broke the news of the Clop attacks. Ransomware is a key concern for organizations, according to the Enterprise Strategy Group research report “The Long Road Ahead to Ransomware Preparedness.” In fact, 79% of organizations reported ransomware preparedness as one of the top five business priorities for their executive team and/or board of directors, the ESG report revealed. Here are some key takeaways on the Clops attacks and tips on how CIOs should respond to these types of ransomware threats.

https://www.informationweek.com/security-and-risk-strategy/clop-ransomware-attacks-how-should-cios-respond-