Publicação

An utility function for assessing the cost of recovering from ransomware attacks

Detalhes bibliográficos
Resumo:	Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts an organization’s data, rendering it inaccessible unless a ransom is paid. The ransom is typically demanded in cryptocurrency. This digital extortion has proven to be highly lucrative for cybercriminals and devastating for organizations. The increasing prevalence of these attacks highlights the need for alternative methods to assess and manage recovery costs effectively. Existing methods to assess the financial impact of ransomware are often inadequate because they focus on indirect costs such as operational downtime and reputational damage and do not take into account the time needed for recovery. This thesis introduces a novel utility function designed to quantify the costs associated with recovering from ransomware attacks in terms of the time needed for recovery, as an aspect overlooked by the existing solutions. The proposed utility function provides a structured method to estimate recovery times based on the duration of each recovery activity. By quantifying these times, the function allows for organizations to make informed decisions about resource allocation and enhance their preparedness against potential ransomware attacks.
Autores principais:	Pinto, Luís Filipe dos Santos
Assunto:	Ransomware Recovery time Estimation Utility function Tempo de recuperação Estimativa Função utilidade
Ano:	2025
País:	Portugal
Tipo de documento:	dissertação de mestrado
Tipo de acesso:	acesso aberto
Instituição associada:	Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo
Idioma:	inglês
Origem:	Repositório Científico IPVC

Descrição
Resumo:	Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts an organization’s data, rendering it inaccessible unless a ransom is paid. The ransom is typically demanded in cryptocurrency. This digital extortion has proven to be highly lucrative for cybercriminals and devastating for organizations. The increasing prevalence of these attacks highlights the need for alternative methods to assess and manage recovery costs effectively. Existing methods to assess the financial impact of ransomware are often inadequate because they focus on indirect costs such as operational downtime and reputational damage and do not take into account the time needed for recovery. This thesis introduces a novel utility function designed to quantify the costs associated with recovering from ransomware attacks in terms of the time needed for recovery, as an aspect overlooked by the existing solutions. The proposed utility function provides a structured method to estimate recovery times based on the duration of each recovery activity. By quantifying these times, the function allows for organizations to make informed decisions about resource allocation and enhance their preparedness against potential ransomware attacks.