JimCords

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Because of the traffic on our networks and the heavy tasks we give them continuously, traditional computing is increasingly getting outdated since more and more lag is occurring. The main reason for this lag is that with traditional computing, or cloud computing, raw data is transmitted to a central location (the cloud), where it will be processed and stored. This takes time, and much network bandwidth is occupied by this (KPN source).

Edge computing is thought to disrupt traditional cloud computing (Fairfield, 2022). It has several advantages over cloud computing, caused by the difference in processing data. Data is no longer transmitted as one big package of raw data to be processed at its destination: the cloud. With edge computing, the computing occurs in an earlier stage, namely at the network’s edge. The edge is where the data is collected in the first place. Examples would be your computer or various IoT devices. Since they are at the very end of the network, this new technology is called edge computing. It ensures the path data takes becomes shorter, making it more efficient than cloud computing (KPN source).

It will be interesting to see the future development of this technology. On the one hand, it could replace cloud computing, which would be disruptive. This can mainly occur in industries where the speed of data transmission is essential (KPN source). An example would be autonomous cars, where split seconds can make the difference between life and death. On the other hand, however, I can also imagine it to be a complementary good to cloud computing. In this case, Edge Computing would, for instance, take care of the data transmission part, while Cloud Computing is used to store it.

References

Fairfield, C. J. (2022, January 28). The 10 Most Disruptive Technologies To Watch In 2022. CRN. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.crn.com/slide-shows/networking/the-10-most-disruptive-technologies-to-watch-in-2022/4

KPN. (2019, December 16). Edge computing: betekenis, voordelen en toepassingen. KPN.com. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.kpn.com/zakelijk/blog/edge-computing-betekenis-voordelen-en-toepassingen.htm

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Cybercrime is nothing new. Everyone has heard stories about people being hacked. There are endless ways people can be hacked, varying from simple password-guessing to Cookie theft. Today we are discussing the newest version of a specific type of hacking, namely ransomware, software deployed by ransomware groups to access, encrypt, and even destroy people’s data.

Ransomware groups are essentially online mafia groups. After stealing and encrypting your data, these groups hand you two options: either pay a tremendous amount of money, usually in Bitcoin, to get it back through an encryption code or lose everything. Most ransomware groups target big companies since they will have more money to extract. Moreover, their data is likely to be of very high value to them, making them feasible targets. However, this does not mean you, and I cannot be directly affected. The groups are merciless, as they even target hospitals (Collier, 2022). Imagine the impact this can have on the patients.

A well-known dilemma with ransomware is whether or not to pay (Sloof, 2021). Paying means you will get your data back, right? Of course, you can never wholly trust an organization that has taken your data hostage and is now asking for money for its release. Thus, how would you know paying means you are safe? Moreover, there should be more ways of retrieving your belongings. Organizations indeed often try decrypting themselves. This is where ransomware 2.0 comes into play.

Lately, at least one ransomware group called BlackCat has moved away from encrypting data and is now destroying it if their ransom is not met. The threat is thus even more significant than before because once they destroy it, there is no way back (Palmer, 2022). Consequently, the threat is more effective because more victims choose to pay the ransom instead of going to battle by trying to find other ways to get their hands on the key. Moreover, developing destructive malware is easier, less time intensive, and thus cheaper than creating ‘regular ransomware’. This way, the criminals get 1) more effective bait and 2) more net profits (Palmer, 2022).

In short, ransomware is a hazardous way of hacking, and it is only becoming more and more effective. I am inquisitive about the answer the world will have to this malware since I expect cyber criminals to always be one step ahead of the ones trying to stop them

References:

Collier, K. (2022, October 7). Ransomware attack delays patient care at hospitals across the U.S. NBC News. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/ransomware-attack-delays-patient-care-hospitals-us-rcna50919

Palmer, D. (2022, September 27). Hackers are testing a destructive new way to make ransomware attacks more effective. ZDNET. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.zdnet.com/article/hackers-are-testing-a-destructive-new-way-to-make-ransomware-attacks-more-effective/

Sloof, A. M. (2021, September 28). To pay or not to pay: the dilemma of ransomware. Social Blog. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://digitalstrategy.rsm.nl/2021/09/28/to-pay-or-not-to-pay-the-dilemma-of-ransomware/

An introduction to Edge Computing

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RANSOMWARE 2.0: say goodbye to all your data

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