The IT Nerd

Oh look. We have another victim of ransomware. This time, Japanese multinational conglomerate Fujifilm has been forced to shut down parts of its global network after being pwned in a ransomware attack:

The company, which is best known for its digital imaging products but also produces high-tech medical kit, including devices for rapid processing of COVID-19 tests, confirmed that its Tokyo headquarters was hit by a cyberattack on Tuesday evening. “Fujifilm Corporation is currently carrying out an investigation into possible unauthorized access to its server from outside of the company. As part of this investigation, the network is partially shut down and disconnected from external correspondence,” the company said in a statement posted to its website. “We want to state what we understand as of now and the measures that the company has taken. In the late evening of June 1, 2021, we became aware of the possibility of a ransomware attack. As a result, we have taken measures to suspend all affected systems in coordination with our various global entities,” it said.

Well, this isn’t good. When will these companies learn that preventing attacks like this is an absolute necessity these days? Clearly they didn’t figure this out and now they are paying for it. And worse yet, I’ll be writing about another company that got pwned in some way, shape, and form.

Earlier this week JBS Foods were pwned in some sort of cyberattack. The New York Times has now said that the FBI have identified REvil as the group behind this attack:

REvil is considered one of the most sophisticated ransomware groups and has demanded as much as $50 million to recover data belonging to companies as prominent as Apple. Its attack on JBS, a Brazilian company that accounts for roughly a fifth of cattle and hog slaughter in the United States, temporarily shut down some operations at a time when prices were already surging for beef, poultry and pork.

The US government is taking a very dim view of this, and the fact that the Russians are basically shielding this group from justice:

The attack highlighted concerns about the vulnerability of critical American businesses. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, urged companies on Wednesday to increase their cybersecurity measures, saying it was “up to a number of these private-sector sector entities to protect themselves.”

Ms. Psaki declined to say whether the U.S. government was planning to retaliate. “We’re not taking any options off the table in terms of how we may respond, but of course there is an internal policy review process to consider that,” she said.

And:

Ms. Psaki said Wednesday that the administration was in direct contact with the Russians and that President Biden would bring up the issue of cyberattacks with President Vladimir Putin of Russia when they meet in two weeks.

“Responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals,” she said.

The fact is that you will not see these attacks slow down or stop. And I am going to go out on a limb and say that you will not see the Russians help in stopping these attacks. So companies need to take Jen Psaki’s advice and strengthen their cyber defences so that they don’t become the next company that gets pwned.

It seems that this is yet another day where the pwnage of companies is front and center in the news. This time, a ransomware attack has caused delays and disruptions at Steamship Authority, the largest ferry service in Massachusetts, and has disrupted ferry transports between mainland US and the Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket islands.

The attack took place earlier today, according to a series of tweets posted on the company’s official Twitter account. Steamship Authority said the incident impacted its land-based IT systems and that ships are not impacted. “There is no impact to the safety of vessel operations, as the issue does not affect radar or GPS functionality,” a Steamship Authority spokesperson said.

“Scheduled trips to both islands continue to operate, although customers may experience some delays during the ticketing process. Customers are currently unable to book or change vehicle reservations online or by phone. Existing vehicle reservations will be honored at Authority terminals, and rescheduling and cancellation fees will be waived,” it added. The company has asked

I am guessing that as a result, a lot of rich people are seriously ticked off as a result. Maybe they should demand that this ferry company up their IT security game so that they aren’t inconvenienced. Just a thought.