The Ultimate Guide to Ransomware
A curated Kiwi edition of TechDay news, analysis, interviews, reviews, job moves, and related resources for Ransomware.
What to know about Ransomware
Ransomware represents a significant and evolving threat in the cybersecurity landscape, characterized by malicious software that encrypts data or locks systems until victims pay a ransom. It targets individuals, businesses, critical infrastructure, and government entities, often resulting in severe operational disruption and financial loss.
The stories under this tag explore the expanding scope of ransomware attacks—highlighting their increasing sophistication, the rise of ransomware-as-a-service models, and their impact across sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and public services. They also delve into emerging tactics such as data exfiltration for double extortion, targeted attacks on cloud and mobile platforms, and the role of artificial intelligence in both facilitating and combating these threats.
Readers will find insights into preventive measures, incident response strategies, and resilience-building through technological solutions such as advanced backup systems, cyber insurance, and threat intelligence collaborations. The content underscores the critical importance of continuous vigilance, employee training, and adopting layered defenses to manage ransomware risks effectively.
Engaging with these stories equips readers with up-to-date knowledge on ransomware trends, enabling individuals and organisations to better understand the threat dynamics and make informed decisions to protect their digital assets and maintain business continuity in an increasingly hostile cyber environment.
Kiwi Ransomware News
Regional stories with direct local relevance
ChatGPT search links New Zealanders to unsafe sites
New Zealand users risk fake login pages and scam sites after ChatGPT search results were found pointing to unsafe links and downloads.
Cybersecurity experts raise alarm after back-to-back data breaches
Schools and payroll users face heightened phishing and identity-theft risks after breaches exposed sensitive data at multiple firms.
QBE: Mooted critical infrastructure penalties hint at cyber regulatory future
Proposed fines of up to $5 million pushes more New Zealand firms to consider cyber cover as regulatory certainty emerges.
Which New Zealand companies are most likely to be targeted by Ransomware hackers?
Mid-market firms in financial, insurance and consulting services face the highest ransomware risk, with attacks now striking faster and costing far more.
The GRC cheat code: Why we stopped auditing from scratch and started mapping the gaps
By reusing one certified control set, Spectrum cut duplicated audit work and is now targeting faster SOC 2 Type II and ISO 42001 checks.
Physical security guidance for New Zealand data centre hopes
New government guidance warns mega data centres are now critical infrastructure, with a single breach risking banking, logistics and communications.
Analyst Insights
Research and market analysis connected to Ransomware
SentinelOne named Leader in IDC endpoint security study
Claroty named leader & customer favourite by Forrester
Arctic Wolf recognised in IDC MDR market assessment
Check Point expands Illumio tie-up to tackle AI attacks
Check Point & Illumio expand AI cyber defence tie-up
Featured News
QBE: Mooted critical infrastructure penalties hint at cyber regulatory future
Proposed fines of up to $5 million pushes more New Zealand firms to consider cyber cover as regulatory certainty emerges.
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AI models expose new attack surfaces through misconfiguration
Misconfigured models are giving attackers a fresh route into cloud systems, raising the risk of data theft and service compromise.
Network segmentation - you can't attack what you can't see
Fast-moving exploits are shrinking patch windows to hours, making network segmentation vital for protecting cameras, medical devices and other connected assets.
Check Point CTO on AI's double-edged sword
AI is shrinking the gap between vulnerability disclosure and real-world exploitation to hours, forcing security teams to adapt fast.
SonicWall boosts endpoint security for SMBs and mid-market
SMBs and mid-market firms facing AI-driven attacks are set for tighter device controls as SonicWall prepares a new endpoint security product.
Resilience over prevention as AI reshapes security landscape
Rising ransomware speed is pushing ANZ firms to increase spending on recovery strategies as AI gives attackers new ways in.
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Check Point: Hackers are already in. Act accordingly
Hackers are exploiting vulnerabilities in hours or minutes, leaving many organisations compromised before defenders spot the breach.
Expert Columns
Seven Cyber Controls Businesses Can No Longer Afford to Overlook
SOCtoberfest Kickoff: The 7 Deadly Sins of Cybersecurity Meet CISA's Core Steps
SonicWall wins two CybersecAsia awards, joins Hall of Fame
CISO-CFO alignment key as cyber insurance market shifts
Minimum viable company: Recover faster when systems go dark
When AI accelerates the threat, identity governance cannot afford to stand still
Identity the new security perimeter in the age of autonomous AI
Which New Zealand companies are most likely to be targeted by Ransomware hackers?
AI does not invent cyber risk, it accelerates it
SonicWall research sounds Code Red on healthcare cybersecurity as attack rates refuse to decline
Interviews
Interviews and video coverage from the network
QBE: Mooted critical infrastructure penalties hint at cyber regulatory future
AI models expose new attack surfaces through misconfiguration
Network segmentation - you can't attack what you can't see
Check Point CTO on AI's double-edged sword
SonicWall boosts endpoint security for SMBs and mid-market
Recent Ransomware News
Arctic Wolf launches AI oversight tools for security teams
Security teams are being offered earlier attack interruption and clearer AI decision trails as the company adds three products to its Aurora platform.
Ransomware gangs threaten Australian executives & families
The study found 41% of attacks on Australian organisations involved intimidation or physical threats, with families sometimes caught in the fallout.
Ransomware shifts to data corruption, Index Engines says
Data recovery teams face a tougher test as new ransomware often corrupts files without full encryption, Index Engines said.
Most EMEA & Asia Pacific firms lack mature security ops
Nearly two-thirds of organisations are still exposed to fast-moving cyber attacks because they lack round-the-clock security operations and automation.
Check Point warns of 48% rise in cyber attacks worldwide
Sensitive data exposure through workplace AI is compounding a 48% annual rise in attacks, with organisations hit by 2,803 per week in September.
Hitachi Vantara wins Common Criteria storage certification
The accreditation gives government and regulated buyers independent assurance that the VSP One Block platform has met recognised security requirements.
Ransomware attacks hit yearly high in August, says NCC Group
August saw ransomware activity hit a 2025 high, with 1,073 attacks logged as businesses in North America and Europe bore the brunt.
Modified Qwen model underperforms in cyber attack tests
Tracebit found the altered open-weight model reached admin rights far less often than the original, raising doubts about its attack utility.
Rockwell finds life sciences manufacturers push AI & cyber
Most life sciences manufacturers now see digital transformation as essential, with 54% reporting a cyberattack in the past year and many eyeing AI.
Most organisations lack mature 24x7 security operations
Many firms are still exposed to faster AI-driven attacks, with Logicalis finding 64 per cent lack mature round-the-clock security operations.
Ransomware surges 600% as AI lowers cybercrime cost
Manufacturers, hospitals and service firms face escalating extortion threats as organised crime drives most attacks across Australasia.
Akira exploits two-year-old SonicWall flaw, ThreatDown says
Thousands of exposed SonicWall devices still give Akira ransomware a route in, as patched systems with old credentials remain a live risk.
Keepit tops USD $100 million ARR on AI truth cloud
The milestone underlines rising demand for independent backup as firms seek reliable records for AI-driven systems and compliance.
Two-thirds of US telecoms in elevated cyber risk band
Smaller operators are carrying much of the danger as a new study finds 66% of assessed US telecoms fall into an elevated risk band.
AI security incidents expose new criminal tradeoffs
Criminals are increasingly using AI for ransomware and credential theft, while flaws in test models are exposing production systems and data.
Only 2% trust AI-ready cyber recovery, survey finds
Australian firms face rising cyber risk, with 80% hit in the past year and only 2% confident their recovery plans can withstand frontier AI threats.
Check Point warns of rising cyber attacks & AI risk
Organisations faced 2,422 cyber attacks a week in August as ransomware and phishing intensified, while AI use created fresh data exposure risks.
Commvault cuts Active Directory recovery to minutes
A clean standby copy aims to keep authentication and access running after cyberattacks, helping firms restore Active Directory in minutes.
Check Point warns of rising attacks & AI data leak risk
Rising phishing, ransomware and AI misuse are leaving organisations exposed, with weekly attacks up 22% from a year earlier.
Rubrik launches Iceberg protection for AWS lakehouses
Enterprises using Apache Iceberg on AWS can now restore full, queryable tables after incidents, reducing manual rebuilds and downtime.