We are all aware that ransomware attacks to firms and governments have become the scourge of the modern computing world. We at BLAKFX have set out to eliminate ransomware and other cyber attacks from the technology space.
Earlier this week, in an attempt to address the ransomware pandemic from a different angle, the US Dept. of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (AFEC) issued an advisory that indicated that negotiating with a ransomware gang might lead to sanctions for the firm that has been attacked. Sanctions were not outlined.
The release stated “Demand for ransomware payments has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as cyber actors target online systems that U.S. persons rely on to continue conducting business. Companies that facilitate ransomware payments to cyber actors on behalf of victims, including financial institutions, cyber insurance firms, and companies involved in digital forensics and incident response, not only encourage future ransomware payment demands but also may risk violating OFAC regulations.”
This might all be a best case scenario, but paying off a ransomware attack might be the best course of business.
Many victims feel they have little choice but to pay up if the alternative is rebuilding all their computer systems and databases effectively from scratch – and trying not to go out of business as they do it.
Many firms and governments have warned that being able to pay the ransom means that ransomware attacks are viewed by some as just another cost of doing business, which means they are less likely to invest in the sometimes-costly security systems that would prevent such attacks.
If paying the ransom were no longer a legal option, companies would have to make sure their systems were robust enough to stop the attackers in the first place.
However, non-payment to attackers would also put much more pressure on police to track down gangs. As most ransomware attacks originate in a different country from where it is targeted, capturing ransomware attackers would be a significant challenge.
The bottom-line is that a better solution is required to defend against ransomware attacks than non-negotiation.
Enter the Helix22 SDK and BLAKFX Ransomware as a Service (RaaS).
With Helix22 installed, firms can ignore the attack and simply extract the original encrypted data.
Firstly, attackers quite simply cannot exfiltrate any of the data they have tried to hi-jack. The Helix22 encryption protects all data at rest, in use or in transit. Therefore, the threat of a leak does not exist. Secondly, we utilize our patented Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) platform for auditing, prevention and recovery from Ransomware attacks. Therefore, even if data has been rendered inaccessible, we can retrieve it. Therefore, is is not a data hostage situation either.
With no threat of a leak and the ability to retrieve all the original data, ransomware attacks are defeated.
Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) platform
Helix22 delivers all this security assurance very confidently due to our genius engineering team that has invented a new model for data security that required an innovative look at the problem. The approach we took was to protect the data itself. Almost all other data security products try to build a perimeter or being fanatic on user identification. However, once the product is breached or a password is stolen, your firms data is in the clear.
You see, the Helix22 cryptography is embedded with the data itself through our inventive and patented process of DNA BindingTM. Therefore, even if a breach were to occur the data cannot be exfiltrated. This means that all your firm/nations data is 100% protected regardless of the type of attack. Further, Helix22 protects data at rest, in use and in transit. No other data security can make that claim. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning experimentation runs and generates incalculable amounts of data. All is protected at its inception.
U2U encryption
We can make this claim as the tech engineers at BLAKFX invented and patented a genuine user2user (U2U) encryption. We manage data security transmission through the truly brilliant and also patented universal Helix22 key service. The Helix22 encryption originates on your network or device, not just when the app is opened. This means, that when data arrives to our key server, it is already encrypted so all it needs to do is issue another key. Signal and Telegram cannot claim this level of security. This key will then only work with the intended device, which generates a matching key required to open the data. In this protocol, we are truly a “zero-knowledge” server so your communications and transmissions remain completely top secret. Even in the event that BLAKFX were subpoenaed, we can honor the request by just handing over the encrypted content…as that is literally all we have. Helix22 also only use keys just one-time and then destroys them. This way the data security is future forward prefect. Therefore, in our unique user-to-user encryption (U2U) world, there is no opportunity at all for any data leak.
This same protocol just described, can be the same with all your 3rd party vendors and suppliers. It does not matter in the least what platform they are running or what device they are using or even the type of data, it is all 100% protected. We do however, strongly advise that all firms involved be utilizing Helix22 due to the nature of the data content. Helix22 can ensure that whatever data they are generating is protected as well.
Let’s take it a step further. Even if your organization were a victim of an internal attack or a victim of malicious open source downloads, there is no reason for concern. Any data that has been forwarded, downloaded, copied or saved cannot be exfiltrated. Period. We have the technology industries foremost data packets which are protected with multi-layered, military grade encryption algorithms that have already proven the ability to withstand penetration testing from MI5 and quantum computing attacks.
One final practical genius of DNA BindingTM is in that it is immediately compatible with whichever system or software you are utilizing. Therefore, any organization can forward information to another and then discuss it and there is immediate privacy.
BLAKFX is Based on Success
Our founders also founded Wickr, which is used by the US military and has never been hacked since its inception in 2012. Helix22 is several generations enhanced since then.
Finally, the Helix22 encryption is quantum computing ready so no need to redo all your data security methodologies in a couple of years when everything else becomes obsolete.
We like to refer to Helix22 as “22nd Century Data Security.”
