As cybercriminals become increasingly sophisticated, the recent strain of HardBit ransomware has taken an unusual step of asking its victims to reveal how much insurance they have. According to part of the message in the ransomware note, sharing insurance details benefits both the victim and the attackers, as the sneaky insurance agents will not pay the insurance claim. Therefore, if payment is not received or negotiations have not begun within 48 hours, the ransom will be doubled.
Victims of HardBit 2.0 are warned that their company will be attacked again in the future and that their secrets may be released online if payment is not made. Companies can restore from a backup, and hope the attackers do not release any stolen data or attempt another attack. Alternatively, the corporate victim might negotiate with the attackers, hoping to come to an agreement.
Ultimately, the best course of action is to ensure companies are properly secured against ransomware attacks in the first place. Companies need to ensure they have the right security measures in place, including a reliable backup system and cybersecurity awareness training for employees.
To summarize, the recent strain of HardBit ransomware has taken an unusual step of asking its victims to reveal how much insurance they have and the terms of that insurance. Companies should take steps to protect themselves against ransomware attacks, such as having reliable backup systems, cybersecurity awareness training for employees, and proper security measures in place. If a company is hit by HardBit 2.0, they can restore from a backup or negotiate with their attackers. However, they should be aware that if payment is not received or negotiations have not begun within 48 hours, the ransom will be doubled.