Cyber-security expert: Ransomeware attacks common in PNG

RANSOMEWARE attacks are very common in Papua New Guinea and around the world, a cyber-security expert says.
Deloitte PNG IT specialist Cimas Alberto said the cyber-attack at the Finance Department last month was not the first time a public agency in PNG was affected by ransomware.
Alberto has been in PNG for eight years and had helped a number of companies implement cybersecurity programmes, recovering from hacking attacks and many other initiatives.
“I’m aware of dozens of similar cases. In this case, hackers were not specifically targeting the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) or the cash held by the department,” he said.
“They just sent an indiscriminate virus (ransomware), which got inside the department’s network and from there, that virus encrypted the data held in their systems.
“In other words, the hackers did not steal any money. They simply took control of the data.
“If the Finance Department has good backups (and they do), they will be able to restore their systems quickly and get back to normal.”
He said ransomware attacks were common and it was very difficult to prevent them from happening.
His advice is that if a company or individual wants to be safe from these attacks, the following measures should be taken into consideration:
l ENSURE your software, applications and browsers are updated and patched;
l MAKE backups of your files frequently;
l DO not open suspicious e-mail attachments;
l DO not click unsafe / suspicious links;
l NEVER use untrusted USB memories. Ransomware is sometimes spread via USB ports; and
l IF you download files from the internet, use always trusted software sources.
Never download “pirate”/ cracked software.