Take a break for companies: The takedown of the Emotet botnet is a sensitive blow to cybercrime. Companies should use the time gained in this way to review their security strategy.
In a coordinated action by national and international investigative authorities, the internationally operating botnet behind the Emotet malware was smashed. This means that the infrastructure behind the all-purpose cybercrime weapon is no longer functional - and companies are initially protected from infection by Emotet. Infections that have already occurred are not cleared after the successful action. Anyone who has received a warning from the BSI should still take it seriously.
The world is a little safer
"We congratulate the BKA, the ZIT and everyone involved on the very successful operation," says Tim Berghoff, G DATA Security Evangelist. “This action has made the world a little safer. The IT security situation remains tense, but a stone should be taken from the heart of all IT managers in companies. ”“ It cannot be ruled out that the groups behind Emotet will rebuild the network in the coming months or years - but that will take a long time and cost money. Companies should use this time to review their own IT security strategy and adjust it if necessary, ”says Berghoff.
800.000 Emotet samples
As an all-purpose cybercrime weapon, Emotet is by far the most dangerous threat to companies. In the past year, the G DATA experts identified over 800.000 samples of the malware. Emotet acts as a door opener and loads further malicious code after a successful infection of the system. These are mostly encryption Trojans like Ryuk or Trickbot. G DATA CyberDefense has been monitoring Emotet around the clock for many years in order to protect customers from this risk in the best possible way. The G DATA Group regularly makes its capabilities in the field of malware analysis and IT forensics available to investigative authorities and affected companies.
More on this at GData.de
About G Data With comprehensive cyber defense services, the inventor of the anti-virus enables companies to defend themselves against cybercrime. Over 500 employees ensure the digital security of companies and users. Made in Germany: With over 30 years of expertise in malware analysis, G DATA conducts research and software development exclusively in Germany. The highest standards of data protection are paramount. In 2011, G DATA issued a “no backdoor” guarantee with the “IT Security Made in Germany” seal of trust from TeleTrust eV. G DATA offers a portfolio from anti-virus and endpoint protection to penetration tests and incident response to forensic analyzes, security status checks and cyber awareness training to defend companies effectively. New technologies such as DeepRay use artificial intelligence to protect against malware. Service and support are part of the G DATA campus in Bochum. G DATA solutions are available in 90 countries and have received numerous awards.