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Ransomware attacks and other cybersecurity threats are hitting companies across the federal supply chain, leaving businesses and government agencies vulnerable to major data breaches and financial losses. In this episode of "Security Clearance Insecurity," host Lyndy Kyzer speaks with GroupSense CEO, Kurtis Minder, about the latest cyber threats and best practices for protecting against them.

GroupSense CEO Kurtis Minder was featured in the Tuesday, March 14 issue of the Axios Codebook Newsletter. The "1 big thing" section is focused on the increasing threat posed by ransomware gangs and their extreme blackmail tactics. These cyber criminals have been fine-tuning their strategies to maximize their profits and inflict more damage on their victims. Ransomware attacks involve the use of malware that encrypts a victim's files, making them inaccessible until a ransom is paid. The attackers typically demand payment in cryptocurrency, making it difficult to track the money and identify the criminals.

Ransomware gangs have evolved their tactics, not only encrypting victims' files but also stealing sensitive data before locking it down. This technique is called "double extortion," where the criminals threaten to publish or sell the data if the ransom is not paid. The gangs are also targeting larger organizations and demanding higher ransoms, with some demanding payments of up to $50 million.

The section also highlights Kurtis' contributions to the fight against ransomware. He has been a vocal advocate for proactive measures to prevent ransomware attacks, including monitoring networks for signs of an attack and training employees to recognize phishing and social engineering tactics commonly used by ransomware gangs. For many organizations, these measures can prevent cyber attacks and ransomware attacks.

Kurtis' expertise in ransomware has led him to create a "Ransomware Task Force" that includes experts from both the public and private sectors. The task force's goal is to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat ransomware, including prevention, response, and recovery measures. The task force has already published a report with recommendations for improving ransomware defenses, and Kurtis has been actively promoting these recommendations to policymakers and business leaders. Check out the full newsletter here.

Last week, GroupSense CEO Kurtis Minder was featured on the BBC 4 news program You and Yours. The presenter, Winifred Robinson, spoke about the effect of the Royal Mail ransomware attack with UK citizens and discussed the severity of the attack with Kurtis.

Cybersecurity isn't just for big business. Organizations of all sizes, shapes, and industries can fall prey to cyberattacks. CEO Kurtis Minder was featured on the "C-Suite Blueprint" podcast to talk about the evolution of cybersecurity since Kurtis entered the industry and the things that executives should take seriously when it comes to cybersecurity.

Ransomware gangs have increasingly focused their attacks on the K-12 education sector, even though most school districts do not pay the ransom. But how long will that last? GroupSense CEO Kurtis Minder was featured in a recent TechTarget article exploring the trend of ransomware attacks on education institutions. 

This week, GroupSense CEO Kurtis Minder was featured in Help Net Security's video series. In the video, Kurtis reviews the proposed changes to the US national cybersecurity strategy. In the forthcoming strategy, President Biden recommends a more offensive cybersecurity posture, stating that the US will proactively attack threat actors. Kurtis believes that these changes, while "exciting", are not as effective as a defensive cybersecurity strategy. Watch the full video and check out the article here. 

Ransomware attacks plagued 14 of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors over the last several years. Cyber criminals are well aware of the emergencies that are caused by a shutdown of critical infrastructure organizations, and they know ransoms will be paid to get operations up and running again. Ransomware attacks represent 28% of the attacks on critical infrastructure, and attacks are on the rise throughout the world in 2022. 

This week, GroupSense CEO Kurtis Minder was featured on the first episode of the "When Leaders Talk" podcast. The new podcast focuses on success stories, failures, and what is needed to be a good leader. Host Stefano Calvetti pulls on his years in the Italian navy to get down to what makes certain leaders impactful. 

CEO Kurtis Minder was featured on an episode of the "Where Humanity Meets Technology," podcast with host Maurice Hamilton. During the episode, "The Ransomware Economy & Prevention," Kurtis and Maurice cover threat actor profiling, the ransomware economy, and mitigation strategies for organizations to employ. 

Throughout the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the pro-Russian hacktivist group Killnet has captured the attention of cybersecurity experts. Killnet originally began as a DDoS botnet service. In January 2022, a threat actor posted an advertisement for the Killnet botnet in Duplikat, a dark web forum for carding, botnets, and other illegal activities. According to the ad, the botnet allowed users to direct traffic without the target’s knowledge. It also claimed that the botnet uses the latest WEB3 technology and that the data is stored throughout the Blockchain. Since January, the nationalist group has targeted pro-Ukrainian countries and organizations in a slew of attacks and experienced organizational shake-up after their leader left.