Extortion software on ESXi: The automation of virtualized assaults

During the year 2024, incidents of extortion software focusing on VMware ESXi servers escalated significantly, along with the standard demand for money increasing drastically to $5 million.

During the year 2024, incidents of extortion software focusing on VMware ESXi servers escalated significantly, along with the standard demand for money increasing drastically to $5 million. About 8,000 ESXi hosts were found to be vulnerable to direct internet exposure (based on data from Shodan), highlighting the substantial operational and financial repercussions of these assaults.
The majority of the current extortion software strains actively targeting ESXi servers right now are diverse versions of the

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AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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