Microsoft's Guidance on DoppelPaymer and Ransomware Attacks This Week

• Microsoft has warned customers against the DoppelPaymer ransomware attacks.
• This warning comes at a time when ransomware is a popular revenue channel for cybercriminals.

What is the matter?

The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) has published guidance for customers about DoppelPaymer ransomware attacks.

• The warning reads that there is misleading information circulating online states that the ransomware spreads via BlueKeep. Microsoft's research team did not find any evidence of this.
• The malware is believed to be propagated through remote human operators who use existing Domain Admin credentials.

“Security administrators should view this threat as additional motivation to enforce good credential hygiene, least privilege, and network segmentation,” says the warning.

Ransomware attacks this week

This warning comes at a time when ransomware attacks are occurring quite frequently. In fact, every day of this week, major ransomware attacks were reported.

Monday - East Texas school district

The Port Neches-Groves ISD in East Texas was hit by a ransomware attack, impacting files on all computer systems. Several agencies including the FBI were contacted about this cyber incident.

Tuesday - Louisiana state government

The state of Louisiana was the victim of a ransomware attack that impacted the websites and IT systems. Officials activated the state's cybersecurity team in response to the attack.

Wednesday- National Veterinary Associates

Around 400 clinics in the United States felt the impact of the ransomware attack launched against the National Veterinary Associates (NVA). Officials said that this was a supply-chain attack.

Thursday - Rouen University Hospital-Charles Nicolle

The Rouen University Hospital-Charles Nicolle in France was the latest victim of a ransomware attack this week. This attack is said to have impacted 6,000 computers in five sites of the hospital complex.

In the backdrop of such frequent ransomware attacks, warnings like the one issued by Microsoft must be taken very seriously.