Government Targeted Phobos Ransomware Attacks Warning by CISA

1. Phobos Overview
2. Phobos Delivery Methods
3. Ransomware Event Damages
4. Top 10 Mitigations to Prevent Ransomware Attacks
5. Phobos Conclusions

Overview:

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) drafted a report on the Phobos ransomware which has been targeting state and local governments of late. Phobos ransomware, is a sophisticated ransomware that leverages is spread via phishing emails and open RDP ports. It’s available in multiple versions on the dark web forsale.  Once infected, it delivers devastating attacks, stealing authentication tokens via Windows API calls to bypass authentication passwords and multi-factor authentication.  This evolving and sophisticated malware poses a significant risk to government systems nationwide.

The alert issued by CISA underscores the critical importance of enhancing cybersecurity measures within governmental organizations, but all entities need to take note.  Critical infrastructure, healthcare, education, and state and local government institutions, must take note and prepare with minimum essential measures to counter Phobos attack tactics.

Phobos Ransomware Malware Delivery Methods

Phobos ransomware employs two primary methods to access systems. The first is phishing, where attackers steal account login details by deceiving individuals into opening malicious email attachments. The second method involves gaining direct access using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), a Microsoft network tool enabling remote computer control.

Ransomware Event Damages

The impact of a successful Phobos ransomware attack are severe and multifaceted. Not only can it disrupt essential services and impede operations, but it can also compromise sensitive data (Non-Public Personal Information), damage public trust, and incur substantial financial losses during recovery efforts.

Top 10 Mitigations to Prevent Ransomware Attacks

To defend against Phobos ransomware and similar ransomware threats, all targeted entities including Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) must implement the following measures:

1. Comprehensive Risk Assessment: Conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities within your networks, systems, and even administrative processes. Evaluate software configurations, network infrastructure, and user access controls. Don’t forget physical security measures particularly in the age of remote work.
2. Regular Software Updates and Patch Management: Ensure that all software and systems are promptly updated with the latest security patches to mitigate known vulnerabilities that ransomware attackers may exploit.  Follow a prescribed Vulnerability Alert Management Process to guide you on timing and objectives when a critical vendor software vulnerability is announced.
3. Employee Training and Awareness Programs: Implement ongoing cybersecurity training programs to educate government employees about the dangers of phishing attacks, malicious links, and email scams, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and cautious online behavior. CyberHoot delivers timely, short, engaging Cyber Awareness videos in a 100% automated way, tracking and reporting compliance to managers and senior leaders.
4. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enforce the use of multi-factor authentication across all critical accounts and systems to add an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access attempts, and reused passwords by your employees.  Adopt a Password Manager to reduce the risk of exposed accounts from online breaches leading to compromise of your networks and systems.
5. Data Backup and Recovery Strategies: Maintain regular backups of critical data and systems in secure, offline storage locations. This ensures that in the event of a ransomware attack you can restore operations without succumbing to extortion demands (in some cases).  Ransomware gangs know backups are getting better so they are building data exfiltration into ransomware for sale like Royal Ransomware put additional pressure on companies to pay the ransom or they will publish your critical data to the public internet.
6. Incident Response Planning: Develop and regularly update incident response plans tailored to ransomware scenarios, outlining clear protocols for detecting, containing, and mitigating the impact of an attack.
7. Collaboration and Information Sharing: Foster collaboration with federal agencies, industry partners, and other entities to share threat intelligence, best practices, and resources for enhancing cybersecurity resilience.
8. Phishing Simulation Training: Conduct regular phishing simulation exercises to test employees’ susceptibility to phishing attacks and improve their ability to identify and report suspicious emails. CyberHoot has an innovative, patent-pending, educational and hyper-realistic phishing simulation tests that are 100% automated.  HootPhish is what we call it and we invite you to test it for free for 30 days.
9. Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) Services: Consider hiring a vCISO (perhaps CyberHoot’s vCISO services) to provide expert guidance and strategic leadership in developing and implementing robust cybersecurity measures tailored to the government’s specific needs and requirements.

Phobos Ransomware Conclusions

By adopting each of these proactive and multi-faceted cybersecurity measures, state and local government as well as SMBs can better defend against the escalating threat posed by Phobos and other sophisticated ransomware.  The time to act is now, before an attack occurs to safeguard the integrity of your critical systems, networks, services, and data. It is imperative for leaders and cybersecurity professionals remain alert and continuously adapt strategies to confront these evolving, increasing, and ever more sophisticated cyber attacks.