Explore detailed breakdowns of different malware categories including viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, rootkits, adware, and spyware. Each article explains how specific malware types function, their attack vectors, real-world examples, and the unique risks they pose to systems and data.
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In 2023, MGM Resorts lost an estimated $100 million after a social engineering attack opened the door to ransomware that crippled casino floors, hotel check-ins, and digital room keys for days. The attackers didn't use some exotic, never-before-seen weapon. They used well-known types of malware — the same categories
In February 2024, Change Healthcare — one of the largest health payment processors in the U.S. — was hit by the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group. The attack disrupted claims processing for hospitals and pharmacies nationwide, exposed protected health information for an estimated 100 million people, and reportedly led to a $22
In 2022, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over 800,000 complaints with losses exceeding $10.3 billion — and malware was the engine behind a staggering number of those incidents. I've spent years watching organizations get blindsided not because they lacked firewalls, but because
Colonial Pipeline Was Just the Beginning In May 2021, a single compromised password shut down the largest fuel pipeline in the United States. Colonial Pipeline paid DarkSide operators $4.4 million in ransom. Fuel shortages rippled across the Southeast for days. That attack used just one of the many types
A Single Click Cost One Hospital Chain $100 Million In 2024, Change Healthcare was hit by the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group. The attack disrupted insurance claims processing for thousands of healthcare providers across the United States. UnitedHealth Group eventually disclosed costs exceeding $870 million related to the incident. The entry
In 2023, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 880,000 complaints with potential losses exceeding $12.5 billion — and malware was the engine behind a staggering number of those incidents. I've worked incident response cases where a single malware infection spiraled into a multi-million-dollar
