The European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) Thrakia has launched a new initiative within its Digital Europe Programme project Cyber4AllSTAR. The StopRansom platform at https://stopransom.edihtrakia.org is aimed at raising awareness among business and public sector representatives to protect against ransomware attacks. It provides important resources to prevent them from occurring and minimise the impact.
Ransomware attacks are malicious software attacks in which cybercriminals block access to a victim’s data or systems through encryption. They then demand a ransom to restore access. Social engineering usually spreads attacks via infected emails with malicious links or software vulnerabilities. In most cases, even paying the ransom does not guarantee the return of the data, making ransomware attacks extremely disruptive to businesses and individual users. With more than 30% of the total analyzed cyber incidents among companies in Europe for the period 2022 – 2023, according to StationX, ransomware attacks represent an undisputed priority to address locally and internationally.
On the StopRansom platform, users can find detailed guidance on protecting themselves from ransomware, including prevention tips, instructions on what to do in case of an attack, and how to report such incidents. The platform also provides training materials and vulnerability assessment tools from third parties such as Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre and the US Cyber Protection Agency (CISA) designed to improve the security of various organisations. There are also up-to-date reports with recommendations on the subject from the European Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA), as well as a link to notifications of newly discovered vulnerabilities under the intergovernmental “Countering Ransomware Initiative” (CRI), of which Bulgaria is a member.
EDIH Trakia with the coordinator Union for Private Economic Enterprise was founded in 2021 in Plovdiv and combines the efforts of representatives of academia (BAS), industry associations (Bulgarian Cybersecurity Association), business alliances (UPEE), and public organizations (Plovdiv Municipality) to provide access to expertise and services in the field of cybersecurity at regional, national and European level. The Cyber4AllSTAR project, co-funded by the national budget under the operational “Programme for Research, Innovation, and Digitalisation for Smart Transformation” (PNIDIT 2021-2027), aims to improve cyber security in Bulgaria and Europe by providing cyber expertise, advice on access to finance and development of a network ecosystem for technology companies – providers and users of digital services. The project is implemented within the European Commission’s European Digital Innovation Hubs Network (EDIH Network), within which EDIH Thrakia plays a key role.
In addition to assistance in countering ransomware attacks, information on all of the hub’s nearly 30 free services, such as penetration testing, risk and vulnerability assessments, cybersecurity training, and other innovative offerings to improve the digital resilience of businesses and institutions, can be found on the EDIH Thrakia website. All of these are provided free of charge, in the form of state aid, and can be requested entirely online.