Joint CISA-FBI Cybersecurity Advisory on DarkSide Ransomware

Original release date: May 11, 2021

CISA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have released a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) on a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) variant—referred to as DarkSide—recently used in a ransomware attack against a critical infrastructure (CI) company. 

Cybercriminal groups use DarkSide to gain access to a victim’s network to encrypt and exfiltrate data. These groups then threaten to expose data if the victim does not pay the ransom. Groups leveraging DarkSide have recently been targeting organizations across various CI sectors including manufacturing, legal, insurance, healthcare, and energy. 

Prevention is the most effective defense against ransomware. It is critical to follow best practices to protect against ransomware attacks, which can be devastating to an individual or organization and recovery may be a difficult process. In addition to the Joint CSA, CISA and FBI urge CI asset owners and operators to review the following resources for best practices on strengthening cybersecurity posture:

• CISA and Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center: Joint Ransomware Guide
• CISA webpage: Ransomware Guidance and Resources
• CISA Insights: Ransomware Outbreak
• CISA Pipeline Cybersecurity Initiative
• CISA Pipeline Cybersecurity Resources Library

Victims of ransomware should report it immediately to CISA, a local FBI Field Office, or a Secret Service Field Office.

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