Google Phishing and Ransomware Attacks

This assignment requires an analysis of various articles reporting on a significant phishing attack targeting Gmail users in 2017. Students need to examine the tactics employed by attackers, the impact of the attack on users, and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of security measures at the time. The focus should be on understanding how phishing attacks work and the potential consequences for individuals and organizations.

Running head: WORST DATA BREACH INCIDENTS OF 2017
Worst Data Breach Incidents of 2017
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1WORST DATA BREACH INCIDENTS OF 2017
Executive Summary
The report consists of two parts, both of which provide the example of two incidents related
to cyber security breach and its effects on the world. The objective the report serves is to
invoke general awareness among the dwellers of cyber-society regarding the rising threat of
cyber crime that is threatening their integrity and privacy for past few years. The report
concludes with the insight on what needs to be done for the mitigation of this threat.

2WORST DATA BREACH INCIDENTS OF 2017
Table of Contents
PART A – Massive Cyber Breach Shakes the Foundation of Gmail........................................3
1. Overview on Gmail............................................................................................................3
1.1. Epicentre of the Problem.................................................................................................3
1.2. Cause of the Breach........................................................................................................4
1.3. Measures Undertaken by Google....................................................................................5
1.4. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................5
PART B – WANNACRY, the New Cyber Evil........................................................................6
2. The Insertion of WANNACRY.........................................................................................7
2.1. Method of the Breach......................................................................................................7
2.2. Effects of the Breach.......................................................................................................8
2.3. Steps taken against the Attack.........................................................................................8
2.4. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10

3WORST DATA BREACH INCIDENTS OF 2017
PART A – Massive Cyber Breach Shakes the Foundation of Gmail
The idea and significance of digital security is still at large to many individuals in the
present world, despite the fact that day-by-day news of real security rupture in different
associations and frameworks are filling the pages of each daily paper (Pieters et al., 2014).
The report presents a quickly developing issue identified that are related with the security in
digital field that are related to a phishing assault that affected a large number of clients who
are using Gmail on 2017 3rd May. The assault news is examined as occurrence as well as a
point of leaning for different associations with the goal that the present condition of
mindfulness in regards to digital security is enhanced to forestall or limit the developing
digital danger.
1. Overview on Gmail
An email benefit that is free and is propelled by Google is the Gmail. The client that
uses Gmail can make an account for free and sign in to the mail id they have created online
through PC, portable workstation, cell phones or tab that interfaces with internet. Gmail
encourages a client transfer his data from him to any other recipient he wants to send the amil
to. At first Gmail offered a storage room of 1 gigabyte for each user. Presently a client can
amass to 15 gigabytes worth of mail ("About Gmail", 2017). Gmail likewise gives the choice
to talk specifically or build up a video meeting with at least one individual those who have an
access to their Accounts of Gmail. There is a limit of data that the user can send to the
receiver. Only sizes of 25 megabytes to a limit of 50 megabytes can be sent through Gmail.
Google guaranteed that Gmail is a web mail that benefit and their servers ceaselessly examine
messages that are related to any kind of infectious substance which bargains the protection or
the substance put away by senders. Notwithstanding, the claim of the Google was frustrated
by current digital assault that are held on Gmail ("About Gmail", 2017).

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1.1. Epicentre of the Problem
On 2017, 3rd May Gmail faced a monstrous assault. It was then declared by Google on
4th May that data breach has taken place. The threat that was faced by Gmail was highly
programmed. The main reason for attack was to acquire control of clients' to get control over
the mails of the clients and get the contacts of clients that are present in the amil id
(Berkenkopf, 2017).
1.2. Cause of the Breach
Google expressed that contamination was coming in the mail ids of client masked as
if the mail id was from a true sender that helped the client to click on the report or Doc of the
Google which was attached with the mail that arrived. Clients who got tapped on connection
were shifted to unique security page of Google, where clients made a request to permit
disease masked as a Doc of Google, to deal with clients' account (Pac, 2017). In doing as
such, not just the mail record of the client is traded off yet additionally the contamination gets
the subtle elements that have contacts of different clients which puts away the contact
rundown of influenced client. Viruses at that point reproduce and also send back a duplicate
of it to every mail id of the client that has gotten from influenced from mail id of the client.
Through the defined method, contamination quickly spreads to maximum accounts of Gmail
clients. It kept on reproducing many circumstances a solitary client also was traped (Griffin,
2017).
The methodology of the assault was not obscure but rather the disease prevailing to
influence a large number of clients inside a limited ability to focus time because of its
exceptionally refined plan. The pernicious connection tricked the refined and refreshed
security arrangement of Google mail by posturing surprisingly legal and dependable. Indeed,
the mail id that contains viruses masked as being though it is being sent from somebody with

5WORST DATA BREACH INCIDENTS OF 2017
someone who is known to clients. Indeed, the payload controlled Google's unique login
framework (Brown, 2017).
1.3. Measures Undertaken by Google
As indicated by Google, the risk has been contained by handicapping the
contaminated records and giving fundamental updates to all clients. The worm prevailing to
break the framework for around one hour however inside that brief timeframe traverse it
accomplished to influence somewhat which is less than 0.1 percent, which is roughly around
a million clients among the aggregate tally of 1 billion clients around the world ("Gmail
phishing attack - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk", 2017).
Google's risk administration group instantly began solved the tainted accounts of mail
and presented an overview the report that surveyed that separated from contact data no other
information was compromised. However, if the virus prevailed to obtain control of the mail
records of the influenced clients, it could have caused harm that is far more prominent.
Acquiring control of a clients' mail record would have given the programmer the flexibility to
get to any delicate information that the client had sent or received before. Utilizing that
information, the hacker could have obtained control of the clients' social site or bank account
details (“Inquirer.net”, 2017).
1.4. Conclusion
In this manner, it can be inferred that in spite of keeping up a tight unbreachable
security, a determined hacker can simply discover approaches to accomplish their objective.
Subsequently, it is smarter to remain alarmed dependably and continue enhancing the
security however much as could reasonably be expected. The wellbeing of a person's way of
life and in addition the data that is gotten to, sent or got by the same must be accomplished by
keeping the safety efforts one stage in front of the individuals who look to rupture them.

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PART B – WANNACRY, the New Cyber Evil
The appearance of ransomware in the group of digital implication instruments has
turned out to be an extremely valuable expansion for the digital offenders. It has taken the
digital war to the following level of test. Prior to the introduction of ransomware, the
programmer's sole reason for the assault was to utilize different instruments of hacking to
break a client record and accumulate delicate data from the framework or system to utilize
them for money related preferred standpoint (Rajput, 2017). The associations or people who
are in charge of the security of digital world create apparatuses to check the assaults and
frequently prevail about doing as such for quite a while. Nonetheless, the aggressors
dependably appear to remain one-stage in front of the friends in need. In spite of this, the
defenders of digital security had a sensible handle of the circumstance and some way or
another figured out how to monitor things. The passage of ransomware in the battle area went
about as the issue that is finally too much to bear on the camel's back for the defenders
(Zimba, 2017).
Ransomware is a sort of malware that has changed the idea of digital assault totally. It
does not make different regular techniques for digital assault that includes rupturing the
security of a framework or system to acquire essential information of an association or a
client, which can be later utilized by the programmer for money related preferred standpoint
(Laszka, Farhang & Grossklags, 2017). Rather, it ruptures a framework misusing some of its
vulnerabilities and holds the total framework and its assets at emancipate by keeping the
client of a framework from playing out any capacity on the same. This new idea of capturing
technology has turned out to be compelling and advantageous for the digital culprits and
changed digital war (Richardson & North, 2017). The report reveals some insight into this

7WORST DATA BREACH INCIDENTS OF 2017
issue utilizing the episode of the current ransomware assault that made exponential harm to
the world on May 12, 2017.
2. The Insertion of WANNACRY
On May 12, 2017, the occupants of 150 nations of the world felt the rage of the
ransomware WANNACRY, propelled by a developing group of programmers who assert
themselves as Shadow Brokers. The flood of the assault incurred significant damage of
around 230,000 PCs including authoritative and individual. The power and suddenness of the
assault found numerous associations napping and desolated their frameworks. The affected
frameworks were held prisoner remotely by the aggressors and were requested payment
against their rebuilding (Mohurle & Patil, 2017).
2.1. Method of the Breach
It has been recognized that a anomaly exists inside the Server Message Block (SMB)
protocol of Windows' server that is known as Eternal Blue. Microsoft Corporation did not
know about this imperfection and thus the peculiarity was not evacuated. Nevertheless, it was
found a long back by the specialists working for the National Security Agency (NSA) of
USA, who covered the reality from Microsoft for their own favourable position. The aim of
NSA was to adjust the inconsistency and utilize it for hostile knowledge reason. In any case,
it was stolen by the Shadow Brokers from the vaults of NSA and was released on the world
(Akkas, Chachamis & Fetahu, 2017).
The ransomware misuses Eternal Blue to pick up section into the arrangement of a
client. The underlying stage is accomplished, it begins to scramble the indispensable
information documents of the framework and makes it practically difficult to get to the
framework or utilize any of its elements. Having injured the framework the product at that
point shows a message on the screen of the framework that demands ransom from the client

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of the framework in type of bit coin within a predefined traverse of time against re-
establishing the framework to its past state (Wirth, 2017). It is likewise cautioned that the
framework will be for all time rendered useless if the payment is not gotten inside the
predetermined date.
The ransomware could influence those frameworks that were running any supported
or unsupported version of Windows working framework, as the SMB convention that the
product adventures to pick up passage into the framework is available in Windows server.
Those frameworks that were running unsupported and more seasoned adaptations of
Windows working frameworks were the most influenced (Wirth, 2017).
2.2. Effects of the Breach
The frenzy of WANNACRY went on for a couple of hours on May 12, 2017 as
revealed by different security specialists. Notwithstanding, it figured out how to influence
230,000 PCs in 150 distinct nations all through the world. Multitudinous associations were
influenced amid the assault and numerous crisis organizations like the National Health
Service (NHS) of UK were compelled to stop their crisis benefits that caused gigantic issues
for the patients of the inside (Mattei, 2017). Among all the influenced associations, a portion
of the significant associations that were influenced incredibly was the Deutsche Bahn,
Telefonica and FedEx of Spain. The normal mass of these influenced nations were not saved
from the impacts of this assault too.
2.3. Steps taken against the Attack
Inside the initial couple of hours of the assault propelled on May 12, 2017, all the
security specialists around the globe ended up noticeably occupied with the one objective to
alleviate the issue. An answer was found by a youthful analyst from Britain who found a
strategy for settling the issue by enlisting an area name in the code of the ransomware

9WORST DATA BREACH INCIDENTS OF 2017
program (Swenson, 2017). The procedure appeared to work for a brief timeframe, which
stopped the headway of the ransomware for a brief span. In any case, it was discovered that
more variants of the ransomware were soon propelled by the aggressors that countered the
arrangement of the analyst. Aside from this, Microsoft Corporation propelled fix refreshes for
all supported and unsupported version of Windows that settled the Eternal Blue issue from
the SMB protocol. The clients were likewise asked for by the Corporation to apply the
updates at the earliest opportunity. Security programming suppliers like MalwareBytes, AVG
Security, Norton and such gave refreshed form of the security programming that had
components to identify and anticipate ransomware assaults (Swenson, 2017).
2.4. Conclusion
The report concludes with the knowledge that the digital security is an issue, which
cannot be trifled with. A short window of chance gave to the digital culprits can prompt
exponential misfortune going from individual to worldwide intrigue. In this manner, it is
smarter to search for approaches to keep the assault before it happens. Overall, it is generally
realized that counteractive action is superior to cure.

10WORST DATA BREACH INCIDENTS OF 2017
References
Pieters, W., Lukszo, Z., Hadžiosmanović, D., & van den Berg, J. (2014). Reconciling
malicious and accidental risk in cyber security.
Pac, R. (2017). Phishing Threats, Attack Vectors, and Mitigation (Doctoral dissertation, Utica
College).
Griffin, A. (2017). If you use Gmail, do not open this email. The Independent. Retrieved 31
August 2017, from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/google-
phishing-emails-attack-gmail-scam-link-doc-invitation-hack-a7716581.html
Brown, A. (2017). Gmail and Google Doc HACK - Have you been hit by phishing attack,
how to change password. Express.co.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2017, from
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/800165/Gmail-Google-Doc-
Phishing-Attack-Change-Password-Account
Gmail phishing attack: Google email users hit by massive scam sweeping web - here's what
you can do - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. (2017). BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 31
August 2017, from http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/technology/gmail-
phishing-attack-google-email-users-hit-by-massive-scam-sweeping-web-heres-what-
you-can-do-35678527.html
Inquirer, T., users, G., Latest, I., & read, M. (2017). Google confirms massive phishing attack
targeting millions of Gmail users | TheINQUIRER. http://www.theinquirer.net.
Retrieved 31 August 2017, from
https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3009445/google-confirms-massive-
phishing-attack-targeting-millions-of-gmail-users

11WORST DATA BREACH INCIDENTS OF 2017
Rajput, T. S. (2017). Evolving Threat Agents: Ransomware and their Variants. International
Journal of Computer Applications, 164(7).
Zimba, A. (2017). Malware-Free Intrusion: A Novel Approach to Ransomware Infection
Vectors. International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security, 15(2),
317.
Laszka, A., Farhang, S., & Grossklags, J. (2017). On the Economics of Ransomware. arXiv
preprint arXiv:1707.06247.
Richardson, R., & North, M. (2017). Ransomware: Evolution, Mitigation and Prevention.
International Management Review, 13(1), 10.
Mohurle, S., & Patil, M. (2017). A brief study of Wannacry Threat: Ransomware Attack
2017. International Journal, 8(5).
Akkas, A., Chachamis, C. N., & Fetahu, L. (2017). Malware Analysis of WanaCry
Ransomware.
Swenson, G. (2017). Bolstering Government Cybersecurity Lessons Learned from
WannaCry.
Mattei, T. A. (2017). Privacy, Confidentiality, and Security of Health Care Information:
Lessons from the Recent WannaCry Cyberattack. World Neurosurgery, 104, 972-974.
Wirth, A. (2017). It's Time for Belts and Suspenders. Biomedical Instrumentation &
Technology, 51(4), 341-345.
About Gmail. (2017). Gmail.com. Retrieved 31 August 2017, from
https://www.gmail.com/mail/help/intl/en_GB/benefits.html