Researchers at Heimdal Security have detected a new ransomware dubbed DeepBlueMagic. According to Heimdal, it is particularly concerning because it is able to disable security tools that companies have employed in order to avoid detection. After the security tools are disabled, the ransomware is deployed and encrypts entire hard drives, except for the system drive. DeepBlueMagic uses other tools to make the recovery of the drives impossible.

Ransomware strains continue to pop up at a rapid pace, showing that there will be no abatement to the problem any time soon. The threat actors are creating nasty strains at a feverish pitch and deploying them faster than companies can keep up.

Prevention continues to be the top strategy, including using basic cyber hygiene. We continue to see successful attacks using old tricks against known vulnerabilities, including the lack of multi-factor authentication, VPN vulnerabilities, failure to patch known vulnerabilities, and remote desktop protocol vulnerabilities. It is crucial to stay on top of these vulnerabilities to prevent known and new strains of malware and ransomware like DeepBlueMagic from deployment in your system, and the subsequent chaos and loss it can cause to your business.

Photo of Linn Foster Freedman Linn Foster Freedman

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her…

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations. She counsels a range of public and private clients from industries such as construction, education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, utilities and critical infrastructure, marine and charitable organizations, on state and federal data privacy and security investigations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Linn is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.  Prior to joining the firm, Linn served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.