Ransomware is a malicious software that encrypts data and holds it for ransom, as it goes by its name, until somebody pays up. Hackers are able to hack into the system through a phishing email, a dangerous message that looks trustworthy to trick you into sharing private info.

The recipient would go through the process of clicking the link or to download an attachment.
Once the hackers get into the system and begin to encrypt the data on it so no one else is able to access that data without the lock. These hackers are demanding a person or company to pay them in exchange for the key to unlock their data before threatening them to post that data online.

“If you feel suspicious about the message, don’t click on it. Especially if they ask you for a certain favor in return whether it’s some site or link” said sophomore Audrey Nguyen. The ransomware attack impacted kronos private cloud solutions which stores data for several services.

The UKG workforce central is used for employees to track schedule shifts and work hours.
Employees have been unable to access payroll systems and are affecting both paychecks and timesheets.
Kronos regularly provided updates to their customers through channels in between communication systems.
Customers were able to use kronos to track employee time entry. This calculated overtime and holiday pay, because of the ransomware, there was no more access to that.

Organizations moved to paper entry to track down shifts. Workers were waiting for their paychecks to come in and now it would be delayed at the minimum of 2 weeks. These hacks have been happening for a long time.
The cyber attacks left hospitals, tv stations, food supply and water systems with no constant update on customers around the world. It caused gas shortages and disrupted the meat supply.

Professional services which include law firms, the public sector, schools, governments and the healthcare industry were all targeted by ransom attacks the most.

These hackers target larger organizations that have more vulnerable and valuable data. It was estimated that around 350 million was paid out to these ransomware attacks. About 8,000 schools including board schools, high schools and colleges around the world were affected by the ransomware attack on websites. About 5,000 of those schools were located in the U.S.

It became more difficult as some schools returned to virtual learning and the platforms used to communicate in classes virtually went down and interrupted the learning with several communication problems.

“if someone sent a random link to you then I think it would be best not to open it knowing whether if its coming from someone you don’t know” said freshman Stephanie Perez Claure.

In order to strengthen your data and protect your information in a secure way, it’s recommended to bbuycyber insurance, and look out for phishing emails. Having a plan for when a cyber attack happens will ensure that you are prepared to fully protect your information anytime. These attacks continue to be under investigation.