This book explores the genesis of ransomware and how the parallel emergence of encryption technologies has elevated ransomware to become the most prodigious cyber threat that enterprises are confronting. It also investigates the driving forces behind what has been dubbed the ‘ransomware revolution’ after a series of major attacks beginning in 2013, and how the advent of cryptocurrencies provided the catalyst for the development and increased profitability of ransomware, sparking a phenomenal rise in the number and complexity of ransomware attacks. This book analyzes why the speed of technology adoption has been a fundamental factor in the continued success of financially motivated cybercrime, and how the ease of public access to advanced encryption techniques has allowed malicious actors to continue to operate with increased anonymity across the internet. This anonymity has enabled increased collaboration between attackers, which has aided the development of new ransomware attacks, and led to an increasing level of technical complexity in ransomware attacks. This book highlights that the continuous expansion and early adoption of emerging technologies may be beyond the capacity of conventional risk managers and risk management frameworks. Researchers and advanced level students studying or working in computer science, business or criminology will find this book useful as a reference or secondary text. Professionals working in cybersecurity, cryptography, information technology, financial crime (and other related topics) will also welcome this book as a reference.

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that prevents victims from accessing their computers and the information they have stored. Typically, victims are required to pay a ransom, usually using cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, to regain access. Ransomware attacks pose a significant threat to national security, and there has been a substantial increase in such attacks in the post-Covid era. In response to these threats, large enterprises have begun implementing better cybersecurity practices, such as deploying data loss prevention mechanisms and improving backup strategies. However, cybercriminals have developed a hybrid variant called Ransomware 2.0. In this variation, sensitive data is stolen before being encrypted, allowing cybercriminals to publicly release the information if the ransom is not paid. Cybercriminals also take advantage of cryptocurrency’s anonymity and untraceability. Ransomware 3.0 is an emerging threat in which cybercriminals target critical infrastructures and tamper with the data stored on computing devices. Unlike in traditional ransomware attacks, cybercriminals are more interested in the actual data on the victims’ devices, particularly from critical enterprises such as government, healthcare, education, defense, and utility providers. State-based cyber actors are more interested in disrupting critical infrastructures rather than seeking financial benefits via cryptocurrency. Additionally, these sophisticated cyber actors are also interested in obtaining trade secrets and gathering confidential information. It is worth noting that the misinformation caused by ransomware attacks can severely impact critical infrastructures and can serve as a primary weapon in information warfare in today’s age. In recent events, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to several countries retaliating against Russia. A ransomware group threatened cyber-attacks on the critical infrastructure of these countries. Experts warned that this could be the most widespread ransomware gang globally and is linked to a trend of Russian hackers supporting the Kremlin’s ideology. Ensuring cyber safety from ransomware attacks has become a national security priority for many nations across the world. The evolving variants of ransomware attacks present a wider and more challenging threat landscape, highlighting the need for collaborative work throughout the entire cyber ecosystem value chain. In response to this evolving threat, a book addressing the challenges associated with ransomware is very timely. This book aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution, trends, techniques, impact on critical infrastructures and national security, countermeasures, and open research directions in this area. It will serve as a valuable source of knowledge on the topic.

In an era defined by the pervasive integration of digital systems across industries, the paramount concern is the safeguarding of sensitive information in the face of escalating cyber threats. Contemporary Challenges for Cyber Security and Data Privacy stands as an indispensable compendium of erudite research, meticulously curated to illuminate the multifaceted landscape of modern cybercrime and misconduct. As businesses and organizations pivot towards technological sophistication for enhanced efficiency, the specter of cybercrime looms larger than ever. In this scholarly research book, a consortium of distinguished experts and practitioners convene to dissect, analyze, and propose innovative countermeasures against the surging tide of digital malevolence. The book navigates the intricate domain of contemporary cyber challenges through a prism of empirical examples and intricate case studies, yielding unique and actionable strategies to fortify the digital realm. This book dives into a meticulously constructed tapestry of topics, covering the intricate nuances of phishing, the insidious proliferation of spyware, the legal crucible of cyber law and the ominous specter of cyber warfare. Experts in computer science and security, government entities, students studying business and organizational digitalization, corporations and small and medium enterprises will all find value in the pages of this book.

This textbook offers an accessible introduction to the historical, technical, and strategic context of global cyber conflict. The second edition has been revised and updated throughout, with three new chapters. Cyber warfare involves issues of doctrine, strategy, policy, international relations (IR) and operational practice associated with computer network attack, computer network exploitation and computer network defense. However, it is conducted within complex sociopolitical settings alongside related forms of digital contestation. This book provides students with a comprehensive perspective on the technical, strategic and policy issues associated with cyber conflict, as well as an introduction to key state and non-state actors. Specifically, the book provides a comprehensive overview of several key issue areas: The historical context of the emergence and evolution of cyber warfare, including the basic characteristics and methods of computer network attack, exploitation and defense An interdisciplinary set of theoretical perspectives on conflict in the digital age from the point of view of the fields of IR, security studies, psychology and science, technology and society (STS) studies Current national perspectives, policies, doctrines and strategies relevant to cyber warfare An examination of key challenges in international law, norm development and deterrence; and The role of emerging information technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing in shaping the dynamics of global cyber conflict This textbook will be essential reading for students of cybersecurity/cyber conflict and information warfare, and highly recommended for students of intelligence studies, security and strategic studies, defense policy, and IR in general.

The relentless growth of cyber threats poses an escalating challenge to our global community. The current landscape of cyber threats demands a proactive approach to cybersecurity, as the consequences of lapses in digital defense reverberate across industries and societies. From data breaches to sophisticated malware attacks, the vulnerabilities in our interconnected systems are glaring. As we stand at the precipice of a digital revolution, the need for a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity risks and effective countermeasures has never been more pressing. Risk Assessment and Countermeasures for Cybersecurity is a book that clarifies many of these challenges in the realm of cybersecurity. It systematically navigates the web of security challenges, addressing issues that range from cybersecurity risk assessment to the deployment of the latest security countermeasures. As it confronts the threats lurking in the digital shadows, this book stands as a catalyst for change, encouraging academic scholars, researchers, and cybersecurity professionals to collectively fortify the foundations of our digital world.

This book highlights authentication and trust evaluation models in the Industrial Internet of Things. It further discusses data breaches and security issues in various Artificial Intelligence-enabled systems and uses Blockchain to resolve the challenges faced by the Industrial Internet of Things. The text showcases performance quality assessment for the Industrial Internet of Things’ applications. This book: Discusses and evaluates different quality assessment systems and authentication of smart devices Addresses data handling, data security, confidentiality, and integrity of data in the Industrial Internet of Things Focuses on developing framework and standardization of quality assessment for diverse Internet of Things-enabled devices Explains the designing, developing, and framing of smart machines, that are equipped with tools for tracking and logging data to provide advanced security features Presents the convergence of the Internet of Things toward Industry 4.0 through quality assessment via analyzing data security and identifying vulnerabilities It is primarily written for graduate students and academic researchers in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics, and communications engineering, industrial and production engineering, computer science, and engineering.

The Internet is making our daily lives as digital as possible, and this new era is called the Internet of Everything (IoE). The key force behind the rapid growth of the Internet is the technological advancement of enterprises. The digital world we live in is facilitated by these enterprises’ advances and business intelligence. These enterprises need to deal with gazillions of bytes of data, and in today’s age of General Data Protection Regulation, enterprises are required to ensure privacy and security of large-scale data collections. However, the increased connectivity and devices used to facilitate IoE are continually creating more room for cybercriminals to find vulnerabilities in enterprise systems and flaws in their corporate governance. Ensuring cybersecurity and corporate governance for enterprises should not be an afterthought or present a huge challenge. In recent times, the complex diversity of cyber-attacks has been skyrocketing, and zero-day attacks, such as ransomware, botnet, and telecommunication attacks, are happening more frequently than before. New hacking strategies would easily bypass existing enterprise security and governance platforms using advanced, persistent threats. For example, in 2020, the Toll Group firm was exploited by a new crypto-attack family for violating its data privacy, where an advanced ransomware technique was launched to exploit the corporation and request a huge figure of monetary ransom. Even after applying rational governance hygiene, cybersecurity configuration and software updates are often overlooked when they are most needed to fight cyber-crime and ensure data privacy. Therefore, the threat landscape in the context of enterprises has become wider and far more challenging. There is a clear need for collaborative work throughout the entire value chain of this network. In this context, this book addresses the cybersecurity and cooperate governance challenges associated with enterprises, which will provide a bigger picture of the concepts, intelligent techniques, practices, and open research directions in this area. This book serves as a single source of reference for acquiring the knowledge on the technology, process, and people involved in next-generation privacy and security.