Australia now has a seat at the table at Kaspersky Lab’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) comprising 40 of the leading, global security experts. And in a first, she is the first GReAT female member. Her message is do not fall prey to ransomware.
Kaspersky Lab ANZ General Manager, Peter Brady introduced Noushin Shabab as the latest GReAT member, first-time hire, and first female in the region, at a Kaspersky Lab Red Carpet Event in Melbourne.
The event featured an all-woman panel discussion focused on cyber security. Moderated by the founder of Reesby Recruitment, Jessica Reesby, panellists included Karissa Breen, a Sydney-based cybersecurity writer an advocate, Jacqui Loustau, a Melbourne-based cybersecurity consultant, and GReAT member Noushin Shabab.
Brady said, “The best way to protect yourself and your files from ransomware is with an effective security solution. Kaspersky Lab, together with other security vendors and law enforcement agencies, are constantly working on detecting the criminal servers that store decryption keys and retrieving the keys from them. From a consumer perspective, what’s important is that ransomware is reported to law enforcement agencies to help fight this threat.”
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Shabab joined Kaspersky in July 2016 as a Senior Security Researcher, after serving as a Malware analyst and software developer at Amnpardaz Software, an Iranian-based cyber security, and penetration testing company.
She pointed to findings from Kaspersky Consumer Security Risks Survey 2016 that found 17% of Kaspersky users had been targeted by ransomware and 36% had chosen to pay a ransom. However, 17% still did not get their files back.
Shabab said, “We urge all ransomware victims, whether they are large organisations or single individuals, not to pay the ransom demanded by criminals. You only continue to support cyber criminals by paying. As our study shows, there is no guarantee that paying the ransom will actually give you access to your encrypted data so stay fearless and don’t pay the ransom.”
She pointed to “The No More Ransom” initiative, launched by the Dutch National Police, Europol, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab, that is sharing decryption tools to help victims recover their data without paying a ransom. Since its launch in September 2016, has already helped more than 2,500 people successfully decrypt their data.
L-R: Noushin Shabab, Kaspersky Senior Security Researcher, Jacqui Loustau, Cybersecurity Consultant, and Karissa A. Breen, Cybersecurity Writer