NetWalker Ransomware Recovery Services

Rely on Intelecis to prioritize your data recovery because downtime has a significant negative impact on business performance across all industries. Numerous businesses have benefited from the expertise of our well-equipped Ransomware Team.  

What is NetWalker?

The Netwalker ransomware, which is rapidly expanding, was developed in 2019 by the cyber terrorist organization known as “Circus Spider.” One of the more recent additions to the cybercriminal organization “Mummy Spider” is Circus Spider. The way Netwalker initially gains access is by phishing emails, after which it steals and encrypts private information to hold it hostage until a sizable ransom is paid.

Sadly, Netwalker does more than only kidnap the victims’ data. Circus Spider will post a sample of the stolen material online to demonstrate their seriousness before threatening to post the entirety of it on the dark web if the victim doesn’t comply with their demands. Sensitive information from one victim was disclosed by Circus Spider in a password-protected folder, and the key was made public online. 

How Does NetWalker Ransomware Work?

In March 2020, Circus Spider made the decision to grow their affiliate network, much as the Maze ransomware group, since they wanted Netwalker to become well-known. They were able to operate on a far greater scale, target more organizations, and raise the magnitude of their ransoms by switching to a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) business model.

RaaS entails enlisting partners to assist cybercriminal organizations in carrying out evil deeds. As was already established, Netwalker began to acquire traction after a few significant victories. In contrast to the other well-known ransomware gangs, they were still rather minor. prior to using a RaaS paradigm.

Netwalker ransomware attacks have increased since they made their first significant gain in March, especially focusing on healthcare and educational organizations. They conducted one of their more well-known attacks against a sizable university with a focus on medical research. The ransomware seized important information from this university, and to prove they weren’t messing around, the attackers released a sample of the data they had stolen. These records included student applications that contained private data like social security numbers and other particulars. Due to this hack, the victim was forced to pay their attackers a $1.14M ransom to unlock their data.

Netwalker attackers have made a significant effort to take advantage of the COVID-19 disarray by sending out phishing emails with pandemic-related subject lines and focusing on healthcare organizations that are already overburdened by the pandemic. Just as the public started looking to one of the first healthcare victims for advice during the pandemic, ransomware shut down their website. Because of the attack, they had to build a second website and direct users there, which caused anxiety and uncertainty for everyone. Netwalker and other ransomware organizations continued to target healthcare enterprises throughout the year, in part because these organizations frequently have understaffed IT departments and are more preoccupied with other aspects of their businesses.

Netwalker targets a number of different businesses in addition to healthcare and education, including: 

And many more. 

What happens when a NetWalker attack is initiated?

To safeguard and protect your sensitive data, it is crucial that your organization understands the risks of phishing campaigns and how to identify strange emails. Netwalker mostly uses phishing assaults with malicious links and executables to infect systems. Regular data security training is a great preventative measure that teaches your company the telltale symptoms of fraudulent communications. Here are a few things to look for in any email that requests that you click a link, download a file, or share your login information.