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Synthesis of Evidence on Existing and Emerging Social Engineering Ransomware Attack Vectors

Synthesis of Evidence on Existing and Emerging Social Engineering Ransomware Attack Vectors

Abubakar Bello (Western Sydney University, Australia) and Alana Maurushat (Western Sydney University, Australia)
Copyright: © 2023 |Pages: 21
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-5827-3.ch015
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Abstract

As the threat landscape continues to evolve, users are becoming less aware, ignorant, or negligent, putting their confidential data at risk. Users easily fall prey to socially engineered ransomware attacks that encrypt and lock a computer or mobile device, holding it hostage unless a ransom is paid. The cryptoware encrypts data securely, making it almost impossible for anyone except the hacker to unlock the device. This research conducts a systematic review to identify methods for executing socially engineered ransomware attacks. Using a CRI framework, 122 studies were synthesized from 3209 research articles highlighting gaps in identifying and analyzing attack vectors, as well as the need for a holistic approach to ransomware with behavioural control as part of the solution. Human vulnerability was found to be a critical point of entry for miscreants seeking to spread ransomware. This review will be useful in developing control models that will educate organisations and security professionals to focus on adopting human-centered solutions to effectively counter ransomware attacks.
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Background

Ransomware made its first appearance in 1989; it was deployed as a Trojan called PC CYBORG, victims were socially engineered to install the infected floppy disk they received by mail (Wilding, 1990). The encryption process was triggered when the victim’s system reboots counts get up to 90, allowing the malware to spread during the dormancy period. The victims were required to post ransom cheque to recover the lost files and directories. Although rudimentary, it paved the way for the sophisticated socially engineered ransomware attacks reported today. The 1989 ransomware encryption functionality was weak and easy to decrypt as the decryption keys could be extracted from the code of the Trojan (O’Kane et al., 2018).

Traditionally, cryptography provided protection, privacy and security to users; however, the birth of Cryptovirology allowed cryptography to be used offensively (Young & Yung, 2017). In a security symposium, Young & Yung (1996) highlighted that cryptovirology would allow criminals to install viruses and malicious codes that can mount extortion-based attacks when deployed on a host system. Cryptovirology has proven to be a formidable threat 20 years later. Ransomware strains today are more sophisticated and operate within an ecosystem with the ability to adapt and evolve when deployed within an environment (Zimba & Chishimba, 2019). Figure 1 below shows the explosive growth of crypto-ransomware types since the period of 2013.

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