Why More People are Needed in the Cybersecurity Workforce
NotPetya Malware
NotPetya was a piece of malware created by a Russian hacker team known as Sandworm. This team worked deep within a branch of the Russian Government know as the GRU, the country's largest foreign intelligence agency. This piece of malware was developed using the combination of a piece of malware called mimikatz and another hacking tool stolen from the pentagon. Together these formed NotPetya, which took advantage of Windows vulnerabilities to gain access to a computer and its contents. The malware then encrypts all the data on the hard drive making the computer and all of the data on it unusable. NotPetya was originally released in Ukraine in an attempt by the Russian government to cripple Ukrainian networks and government services, but it ended up spreading across the globe.
The Impacts of NotPetya
NotPetya's release in Ukraine did exactly what it was intended to do - cause chaos. The piece of malware crippled everything from ATM services to electrical grids. There was no one in Ukraine who was safe from this cyberattack. Whether the bad actors knew it or not, they had created something so powerful they would not be able to control it. The malware ended up spreading all over the world. It hit companies such as Maersk Shipping and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Multinational companies such as these were shut down for weeks as they were unable to access any of the data they needed for day to day operations. Things like payment info, shipping info, and order information was all wiped away. The companies had to resort to paper and pencil while they repaired their networks from scratch. As you can imagine, hundreds of millions of dollars were lost in the whole ordeal and many people's lives were affected. This is just one of the many examples why you should join the cybersecurity work force and learn to combat hackers and cybercriminals coming after your data! Source: Sandworm by Andy Greenberg