UKG is an American multinational technology company with dual headquarters in Lowell, Massachusetts , and Weston, Florida . It provides workforce management and human resource management services.
74-640: The company was founded in April 2020 as a result of the merger of Ultimate Software and Kronos Incorporated . Former Kronos CEO Aron Ain was the CEO and chairperson of the combined company until July 1, 2022, when he stepped down as CEO to become Executive Chairperson. On February 20, 2020, Ultimate Software and Kronos Incorporated announced they agreed to form a new cloud computing venture specializing in workforce management and human capital management . The combined company, valued at $ 22 billion, would be one of
148-420: A Trojan , entering a system through, for example, a malicious attachment, embedded link in a phishing email, or a vulnerability in a network service. The program then runs a payload , which locks the system in some fashion, or claims to lock the system but does not (e.g., a scareware program). Payloads may display a fake warning purportedly by an entity such as a law enforcement agency , falsely claiming that
222-447: A 6-digit code. While the malware claimed that this call would be free, it was routed through a rogue operator in a country with high international phone rates, who placed the call on hold, causing the user to incur large international long-distance charges. In 2012, Symantec reported spread out of Eastern Europe of ransomware with a lock screen purporting to be law enforcement demanding payment for illegal activity. In February 2013,
296-429: A Trojan known as CryptoLocker , which generated a 2048-bit RSA key pair and uploaded in turn to a command-and-control server, and used to encrypt files using a whitelist of specific file extensions . The malware threatened to delete the private key if a payment of Bitcoin or a pre-paid cash voucher was not made within 3 days of the infection. Due to the extremely large key size it uses, analysts and those affected by
370-412: A design failure so severe it was not necessary to pay the extortionist at all. Its payload hid the files on the hard drive and encrypted only their names , and displayed a message claiming that the user's license to use a certain piece of software had expired. The user was asked to pay US$ 189 to "PC Cyborg Corporation" in order to obtain a repair tool even though the decryption key could be extracted from
444-493: A fictitious criminal charge. Fusob requests iTunes gift cards for payment, unlike most cryptocurrency-centric ransomware. In order to infect devices, Fusob masquerades as a pornographic video player. When it is installed, it first checks the device's system language. If the language is Russian or Eastern-European, Fusob remains dormant. Otherwise, it locks the device and demands ransom. About 40% of victims are in Germany, while
518-953: A form of clickjacking to cause the user to give it "device administrator" privileges to achieve deeper access to the system. Different tactics have been used on iOS devices, such as exploiting iCloud accounts and using the Find My iPhone system to lock access to the device. On iOS 10.3 , Apple patched a bug in the handling of JavaScript pop-up windows in Safari that had been exploited by ransomware websites. It recently has been shown that ransomware may also target ARM architectures like those that can be found in various Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, such as Industrial IoT edge devices. In August 2019 researchers demonstrated it's possible to infect DSLR cameras with ransomware. Digital cameras often use Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP - standard protocol used to transfer files.) Researchers found that it
592-433: A page to scan for malware, this variant was designed to require users to visit a web page and enter a CAPTCHA code before the payload is actually downloaded, preventing such automated processes from being able to scan the payload. Symantec determined that these new variants, which it identified as CryptoLocker.F , were again, unrelated to the original CryptoLocker due to differences in their operation. A notable victim of
666-409: A private individual's photographs and documents) that the ransomware had encrypted. As ransomware matured as a business, organised gangs entered the field, advertising on the dark Web for experts, and outsourcing functions. This led to improvement in the quality of ransomware and its success. Rather than random emails, the gangs stole credentials, found vulnerabilities in target networks, and improved
740-471: A ransomware Trojan based on the Stamp.EK exploit kit surfaced; the malware was distributed via sites hosted on the project hosting services SourceForge and GitHub that claimed to offer "fake nude pics" of celebrities. In July 2013, an OS X -specific ransomware Trojan surfaced, which displays a web page that accuses the user of downloading pornography. Unlike its Windows-based counterparts, it does not block
814-416: A ransomware Trojan known as WinLock. Unlike the previous Gpcode Trojan, WinLock did not use encryption. Instead, WinLock trivially restricted access to the system by displaying pornographic images and asked users to send a premium-rate SMS (costing around US$ 10) to receive a code that could be used to unlock their machines. The scam hit numerous users across Russia and neighbouring countries—reportedly earning
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#1732775525135888-408: A state of emergency and announce that Costa Rica is "at war" with its ransomware hackers. In some infections, there is a two-stage payload, common in many malware systems. The user is tricked into running a script, which downloads the main virus and executes it. In early versions of the dual-payload system, the script was contained in a Microsoft Office document with an attached VBScript macro, or in
962-448: A warning purportedly from a law enforcement agency claiming that the computer has been used for illegal activities, such as downloading unlicensed software or child pornography . Due to this behaviour, it is commonly referred to as the "Police Trojan". The warning informs the user that to unlock their system, they would have to pay a fine using a voucher from an anonymous prepaid cash service such as Ukash or paysafecard . To increase
1036-574: A windows scripting facility (WSF) file. As detection systems started blocking these first stage payloads, the Microsoft Malware Protection Center identified a trend away toward LNK files with self-contained Microsoft Windows PowerShell scripts. In 2016, PowerShell was found to be involved in nearly 40% of endpoint security incidents. Some ransomware strains have used proxies tied to Tor hidden services to connect to their command and control servers, increasing
1110-449: Is a cloud-based platform that delivers human capital management to organizations across all industries. UltiPro provides one system of record for HR, payroll , and talent management . According to TrustRadius , UltiPro includes time and attendance, employee onboarding , performance management, compensation management, succession management, recruiting, and other features like predictive analytics . Ransomware Ransomware
1184-436: Is a type of malware that permanently blocks access to the victim's personal data unless a "ransom" is paid. While some simple ransomware may lock the system without damaging any files, more advanced malware uses a technique called cryptoviral extortion. It encrypts the victim's files, making them inaccessible, and demands a ransom payment to decrypt them. In a properly implemented cryptoviral extortion attack, recovering
1258-480: Is actually intelligence gathering. The first reported death following a ransomware attack was at a German hospital in October 2020. A significant increase in ransomware attacks occurred during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic . Evidence has demonstrated that the targeted institutions of these attacks included government, finance, and healthcare. Researchers have contended that several different factors can explain
1332-469: Is an index analyzing shift work trends from over four million people across more than 35,000 U.S. businesses. Reports are published and briefings are held each Tuesday prior to the publication of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation Report. The Report is covered widely by news organizations and government sources. In December 2021, UKG disclosed that it was targeted by a ransomware attack that
1406-470: Is little incentive to encrypt data since it can be easily restored via online synchronization. Mobile ransomware typically targets the Android platform, as it allows applications to be installed from third-party sources. The payload is typically distributed as an APK file installed by an unsuspecting user; it may attempt to display a blocking message over top of all other applications, while another used
1480-419: Is repaired. The most sophisticated payloads encrypt files, with many using strong encryption to encrypt the victim's files in such a way that only the malware author has the needed decryption key. Payment is virtually always the goal, and the victim is coerced into paying for the ransomware to be removed either by supplying a program that can decrypt the files, or by sending an unlock code that undoes
1554-401: Is the company's think tank and research platform for organizations providing information on Human Capital Management issues that include working environment optimization, analytical and educational tools, accommodation of people with disabilities and more. The organization also conducts surveys and issues annual reports on global workforce trends and developments. The Workforce Activity Report
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#17327755251351628-457: Is the largest minority investor with a 20–25 percent stake. Other minority investors include GIC , Canada Pension Plan Investment Board , and JMI Equity. Ultimate Software Ultimate Software was an American multinational technology company that developed and sold UltiPro, a cloud-based human capital management (HCM) software system for businesses. Headquartered in Weston, Florida ,
1702-483: The Bitcoin cryptocurrency . In May 2020, vendor Sophos reported that the global average cost to remediate a ransomware attack (considering downtime, people time, device cost, network cost, lost opportunity and ransom paid) was $ 761,106. Ninety-five percent of organizations that paid the ransom had their data restored. The first known malware extortion attack, the "AIDS Trojan" written by Joseph Popp in 1989, had
1776-659: The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority were also affected. Many sources reported that the attack possibly occurred as a result of the Log4Shell zero-day , but UKG claimed it did not have evidence of Log4Shell being responsible for the ransomware incident. Private equity firm Hellman & Friedman , which was the controlling shareholder of both Ultimate and Kronos, is the controlling shareholder of UKG. Blackstone , which also owned stakes in both previous companies,
1850-582: The WannaCry worm , traveled automatically between computers without user interaction. Starting as early as 1989 with the first documented ransomware known as the AIDS trojan , the use of ransomware scams has grown internationally. There were 181.5 million ransomware attacks in the first six months of 2018. This record marks a 229% increase over this same time frame in 2017. In June 2014, vendor McAfee released data showing that it had collected more than double
1924-613: The Zedo ad network in late-September 2014 that targeted several major websites; the ads redirected to rogue websites that used browser plugin exploits to download the payload. A Barracuda Networks researcher also noted that the payload was signed with a digital signature in an effort to appear trustworthy to security software. CryptoWall 3.0 used a payload written in JavaScript as part of an email attachment, which downloads executables disguised as JPG images. To further evade detection,
1998-529: The August 2014 discovery of a Trojan specifically targeting network-attached storage devices produced by Synology . In January 2015, it was reported that ransomware-styled attacks have occurred against individual websites via hacking, and through ransomware designed to target Linux -based web servers . In 2022, Costa Rica received widespread Conti ransomware attacks affecting government, healthcare and industry. This lead President Rodrigo Chaves to declare
2072-672: The Caribbean market with its acquisition of Interboro Systems Corporation, based in Puerto Rico, the same month. In November 2022, UKG acquired the Oxford -headquartered strategic workforce planning software company, Quorbit. In June 2023, UKG acquired Immedis, an Irish global payroll platform from CluneTech for over €550 million. The platform was relaunched as UKG OneView with a focus on multinational workforce management, payroll, tax and funding. Established in 2007, Workforce Institute
2146-454: The FBI. Globally, according to Statistica , there were about 623 million ransomware attacks in 2021, and 493 million in 2022. The concept of file-encrypting ransomware was invented and implemented by Young and Yung at Columbia University and was presented at the 1996 IEEE Security & Privacy conference. It is called cryptoviral extortion and it was inspired by the fictional facehugger in
2220-682: The Metropolitan Police clarified that they would never lock a computer in such a way as part of an investigation. In May 2012, Trend Micro threat researchers discovered templates for variations for the United States and Canada , suggesting that its authors may have been planning to target users in North America. By August 2012, a new variant of Reveton began to spread in the United States, claiming to require
2294-698: The Russian hacker Evgeniy Bogachev for his alleged involvement in the botnet. It was estimated that at least US$ 3 million was extorted with the malware before the shutdown. In September 2014, a wave of ransomware Trojans surfaced that first targeted users in Australia , under the names CryptoWall and CryptoLocker (which is, as with CryptoLocker 2.0, unrelated to the original CryptoLocker). The Trojans spread via fraudulent e-mails claiming to be failed parcel delivery notices from Australia Post ; to evade detection by automatic e-mail scanners that follow all links on
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2368-625: The Trojan considered CryptoLocker extremely difficult to repair. Even after the deadline passed, the private key could still be obtained using an online tool, but the price would increase to 10 BTC—which cost approximately US$ 2300 as of November 2013. CryptoLocker was isolated by the seizure of the Gameover ZeuS botnet as part of Operation Tovar , as officially announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on 2 June 2014. The Department of Justice also publicly issued an indictment against
2442-580: The Trojans was the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ; live programming on its television news channel ABC News 24 was disrupted for half an hour and shifted to Melbourne studios due to a CryptoWall infection on computers at its Sydney studio. Another Trojan in this wave, TorrentLocker , initially contained a design flaw comparable to CryptoDefense; it used the same keystream for every infected computer, making
2516-451: The attack itself was a success. Common targets for exfiltration include: Exfiltration attacks are usually targeted, with a curated victim list, and often preliminary surveillance of the victim's systems to find potential data targets and weaknesses. With the increased popularity of ransomware on PC platforms, ransomware targeting mobile operating systems has also proliferated. Typically, mobile ransomware payloads are blockers, as there
2590-467: The attack that is presented here the victim retains access to the information but its disclosure is at the discretion of the computer virus". The attack is rooted in game theory and was originally dubbed "non-zero sum games and survivable malware". The attack can yield monetary gain in cases where the malware acquires access to information that may damage the victim user or organization, e.g., the reputational damage that could result from publishing proof that
2664-417: The code of the Trojan. The Trojan was also known as "PC Cyborg". Popp was declared mentally unfit to stand trial for his actions, but he promised to donate the profits from the malware to fund AIDS research. The idea of abusing anonymous cash systems to safely collect ransom from human kidnapping was introduced in 1992 by Sebastiaan von Solms and David Naccache . This electronic money collection method
2738-403: The company acquired EverythingBenefits, a developer of cloud-based business software that connects employers to insurance, retirement and other information. The acquisition allowed UKG to incorporate EverythingBenefits’ procedural knowledge including its suite of payroll, HR service delivery, and workforce management, among other tools. On September 1, 2021, UKG bought Great Place to Work® Inc.,
2812-412: The company behind Fortune ’s annual list of 100 Best Companies to Work For . In December 2021, UKG acquired Ascentis Corporation, a midmarket provider of HCM and time management solutions. In February 2022, UKG acquired SpotCues, an employee engagement and communication solution. SpotCues was relaunched as UKG Talk. As of July 2023, UKG Talk has more than 1 million users. The company also expanded into
2886-726: The company sponsored a $ 1 million prize for the NWSL Challenge Cup , an annual tournament organized by the National Women's Soccer League. Following the merger of Ultimate Software and Kronos Incorporated , the Ultimate Kronos Group was established in April 2020. According to Society for Human Resource Management , the new company became one of the largest HR technology vendors in the highly competitive economy section that includes ADP , Ceridian , Taleo , Successfactors , and Workday . In June 2021,
2960-505: The company was founded in 1990 by Scott Scherr, and it released its first version of software in 1993. As of the fourth quarter in 2017, Ultimate Software reported total revenues of over $ 940.7 million. As of 2017, the company employs more than 5,000 people and services 4,100 customers in 160 countries. Ultimate had offices around the U.S., Canada, UK, and Singapore. On February 4, 2019, Hellman & Friedman Capital Partners announced it would purchase Ultimate Software Group for $ 11 billion;
3034-953: The company's Chief Belonging, Diversity, and Equity Officer. In December 2021, UKG launched its Close the Gap Initiative , a $ 3 million campaign funded by the company to address salary inequity for U.S. workers' wages, in particular for women and people of color. In July 2022, UKG named Christopher Todd as chief executive officer succeeding Aron Ain who was named executive chairman of the board of directors. UKG has been noted for its inclusive, diversified workforce and community-oriented work environment. In July 2024, UKG eliminated approximately 2250 positions (14% of their global employee population) worldwide. UKG accidentally notified impacted employees by prematurely emailing FedEx labels and instructions on how to return their laptops. In July 2024, UKG replaced Christopher Todd as chief executive officer with former SAP Co-CEO, Jennifer Morgan. In 2023,
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3108-426: The data in files but also the file names. Fusob is a major family of mobile ransomware. Between April 2015 and March 2016, about 56 percent of accounted mobile ransomware was Fusob. Like most other pieces of ransomware, it employs scare tactics to extort a hefty sum from the user. The app acts as if it were a notice from the authorities , demanding the victim to pay a fine from $ 100 to $ 200 USD or otherwise face
3182-427: The data publicly if the ransom was not paid; in at least one case they did this. Many other gangs followed; "leak sites" were created on the dark web where stolen data could be accessed. Later attacks focussed on the threat to leak data, without necessarily locking it—this negated the protection afforded victims by robust backup procedures. As of 2023 there is a risk of hostile governments using ransomware to conceal what
3256-465: The difficulty of tracing the exact location of the criminals. Furthermore, dark web vendors have increasingly started to offer the technology as a service , wherein ransomware is sold, ready for deployment on victims' machines, on a subscription basis, similarly to Adobe Creative Cloud or Office 365. Symantec has classified ransomware to be the most dangerous cyber threat. In August 2010, Russian authorities arrested nine individuals connected to
3330-456: The e-money was previously encrypted by the user, it is of no use to the user if it gets encrypted by a cryptovirus". They referred to these attacks as being " cryptoviral extortion", an overt attack that is part of a larger class of attacks in a field called cryptovirology , which encompasses both overt and covert attacks. The cryptoviral extortion protocol was inspired by the parasitic relationship between H. R. Giger's facehugger and its host in
3404-462: The encryption trivial to overcome. However, this flaw was later fixed. By late-November 2014, it was estimated that over 9,000 users had been infected by TorrentLocker in Australia alone, trailing only Turkey with 11,700 infections. Another major ransomware Trojan targeting Windows, CryptoWall, first appeared in 2014. One strain of CryptoWall was distributed as part of a malvertising campaign on
3478-499: The entire computer, but simply exploits the behaviour of the web browser itself to frustrate attempts to close the page through normal means. In July 2013, a 21-year-old man from Virginia, whose computer coincidentally did contain pornographic photographs of underage girls with whom he had conducted sexualized communications, turned himself in to police after receiving and being deceived by FBI MoneyPak Ransomware accusing him of possessing child pornography. An investigation discovered
3552-552: The fatal flaw being that the decryption key could be extracted from the Trojan, and implemented an experimental proof-of-concept cryptovirus on a Macintosh SE/30 that used RSA and the Tiny Encryption Algorithm (TEA) to hybrid encrypt the victim's data. Since public key cryptography is used, the virus only contains the encryption key. The attacker keeps the corresponding private decryption key private. Young and Yung's original experimental cryptovirus had
3626-483: The files without the decryption key is an intractable problem, and difficult-to-trace digital currencies such as paysafecard or Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are used for the ransoms, making tracing and prosecuting the perpetrators difficult. Ransomware attacks are typically carried out using a Trojan disguised as a legitimate file that the user is tricked into downloading or opening when it arrives as an email attachment. However, one high-profile example,
3700-518: The first time since 2013, in 2018 there was an observed decrease in ransomware activity with a drop of 20 percent. Before 2017, consumers were the preferred victims, but in 2017 this changed dramatically, it moved to the enterprises. In 2018 this path accelerated with 81 percent infections which represented a 12 percent increase. The common distribution method today is based on email campaigns. In late 2019 ransomware group Maze downloaded companies' sensitive files before locking them, and threatened to leak
3774-499: The group over US$ 16 million. In 2011, a ransomware Trojan surfaced that imitated the Windows Product Activation notice, and informed users that a system's Windows installation had to be re-activated due to "[being a] victim of fraud". An online activation option was offered (like the actual Windows activation process), but was unavailable, requiring the user to call one of six international numbers to input
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#17327755251353848-434: The illusion that the computer is being tracked by law enforcement, the screen also displays the computer's IP address , while some versions display footage from a victim's webcam to give the illusion that the user is being recorded. Reveton initially began spreading in various European countries in early 2012. Variants were localized with templates branded with the logos of different law enforcement organizations based on
3922-541: The increase in attacks during this time. However, a major factor is that remote work , which became the norm for many industries in 2020, led to the surge in attacks because of the lack of security in comparison to traditional work environments. In 2012, a major ransomware Trojan known as Reveton began to spread. Based on the Citadel Trojan (which, itself, is based on the Zeus Trojan), its payload displays
3996-444: The incriminating files, and the man was charged with child sexual abuse and possession of child pornography. The converse of ransomware is a cryptovirology attack invented by Adam L. Young that threatens to publish stolen information from the victim's computer system rather than deny the victim access to it. In a leakware attack, malware exfiltrates sensitive host data either to the attacker or alternatively, to remote instances of
4070-507: The largest cloud computing companies. Kronos CEO Aron Ain became CEO and chairman of the new company, with more than 12,000 employees and dual headquarters in Lowell, Massachusetts , and Weston, Florida . The merger was officially completed on April 1, 2020, and in August, the company's name was announced as Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), which became effective on October 1. In May 2021, the company appointed tech industry veteran Brian Reaves as
4144-602: The malware creates new instances of explorer.exe and svchost.exe to communicate with its servers. When encrypting files, the malware also deletes volume shadow copies and installs spyware that steals passwords and Bitcoin wallets . The FBI reported in June 2015 that nearly 1,000 victims had contacted the bureau's Internet Crime Complaint Center to report CryptoWall infections, and estimated losses of at least $ 18 million. The most recent version, CryptoWall 4.0, enhanced its code to avoid antivirus detection, and encrypts not only
4218-530: The malware to avoid detection by anti-malware scanners. Ransoms demanded escalated into the much larger sums (millions) that an enterprise would pay to recover its data, rather than what an individual would pay for their documents (hundreds). In 2016, a significant uptick in ransomware attacks on hospitals was noted. According to the 2017 Internet Security Threat Report from Symantec Corp, ransomware affected not only IT systems but also patient care, clinical operations, and billing. Online criminals may be motivated by
4292-403: The malware, and the attacker threatens to publish the victim's data unless a ransom is paid. The attack was presented at West Point in 2003 and was summarized in the book Malicious Cryptography as follows, "The attack differs from the extortion attack in the following way. In the extortion attack, the victim is denied access to its own valuable information and has to pay to get it back, where in
4366-609: The money available and sense of urgency within the healthcare system. Ransomware is growing rapidly across the internet users but also for the IoT environment. The big problem is that millions of dollars are lost by some organizations and industries that have decided to pay, such as the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center and the MedStar Health. According to Symantec 2019 ISTR report, for
4440-463: The movie Alien . Examples of extortionate ransomware became prominent in May 2005. By mid-2006, Trojans such as Gpcode , TROJ.RANSOM.A, Archiveus , Krotten, Cryzip, and MayArchive began utilizing more sophisticated RSA encryption schemes, with ever-increasing key-sizes. Gpcode.AG, which was detected in June 2006, was encrypted with a 660-bit RSA public key. In June 2008, a variant known as Gpcode.AK
4514-432: The movie Alien . Cryptoviral extortion is the following three-round protocol carried out between the attacker and the victim. The symmetric key is randomly generated and will not assist other victims. At no point is the attacker's private key exposed to victims and the victim need only send a very small ciphertext (the encrypted symmetric-cipher key) to the attacker. Ransomware attacks are typically carried out using
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#17327755251354588-626: The number of ransomware samples that quarter than it had in the same quarter the previous year. CryptoLocker was particularly successful, procuring an estimated US$ 3 million before it was taken down by authorities, and CryptoWall was estimated by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to have accrued over US$ 18 million by June 2015. In 2020, the IC3 received 2,474 complaints identified as ransomware with adjusted losses of over $ 29.1 million. The losses could be more than that, according to
4662-436: The operators of CryptoLocker had procured about US$ 27 million from infected users. The CryptoLocker technique was widely copied in the months following, including CryptoLocker 2.0 (thought not to be related to CryptoLocker), CryptoDefense (which initially contained a major design flaw that stored the private key on the infected system in a user-retrievable location , due to its use of Windows' built-in encryption APIs), and
4736-545: The payload's changes. While the attacker may simply take the money without returning the victim's files, it is in the attacker's best interest to perform the decryption as agreed, since victims will stop sending payments if it becomes known that they serve no purpose. A key element in making ransomware work for the attacker is a convenient payment system that is hard to trace. A range of such payment methods have been used, including wire transfers , premium-rate text messages , pre-paid voucher services such as paysafecard , and
4810-604: The payment of a $ 200 fine to the FBI using a MoneyPak card. In February 2013, a Russian citizen was arrested in Dubai by Spanish authorities for his connection to a crime ring that had been using Reveton; ten other individuals were arrested on money laundering charges. In August 2014, Avast Software reported that it had found new variants of Reveton that also distribute password-stealing malware as part of its payload. Encrypting ransomware reappeared in September 2013 with
4884-546: The purchase closed on May 3, 2019. In February 2020, Ultimate Software announced its plan to merge with Kronos Incorporated to form a cloud-computing venture specializing in human resource software. The merger was completed on April 1, 2020. The company is named Ultimate Kronos Group . Ultimate Software was founded in 1990 by Scott Scherr. In 1993, the tech company released UltiPro HRMS/payroll sold as on-premise software servicing core HR and payroll. The company went public ( NASDAQ : ULTI ) in June 1998. In 2002, UltiPro
4958-462: The system has been used for illegal activities, contains content such as pornography and "pirated" media . Some payloads consist simply of an application designed to lock or restrict the system until payment is made, typically by setting the Windows Shell to itself, or even modifying the master boot record and/or partition table to prevent the operating system from booting until it
5032-626: The user's country; for example, variants used in the United Kingdom contained the branding of organizations such as the Metropolitan Police Service and the Police National E-Crime Unit . Another version contained the logo of the royalty collection society PRS for Music , which specifically accused the user of illegally downloading music. In a statement warning the public about the malware,
5106-401: The victim send the asymmetric ciphertext to the attacker who deciphers it and returns the symmetric decryption key it contains to the victim for a fee. Long before electronic money existed Young and Yung proposed that electronic money could be extorted through encryption as well, stating that "the virus writer can effectively hold all of the money ransom until half of it is given to him. Even if
5180-432: Was also proposed for cryptoviral extortion attacks. In the von Solms-Naccache scenario a newspaper publication was used (since bitcoin ledgers did not exist at the time the paper was written). The notion of using public key cryptography for data kidnapping attacks was introduced in 1996 by Adam L. Young and Moti Yung . Young and Yung critiqued the failed AIDS Information Trojan that relied on symmetric cryptography alone,
5254-446: Was detected. Using a 1024-bit RSA key, it was believed large enough to be computationally infeasible to break without a concerted distributed effort. Encrypting ransomware returned to prominence in late 2013 with the propagation of CryptoLocker —using the Bitcoin digital currency platform to collect ransom money. In December 2013, ZDNet estimated based on Bitcoin transaction information that between 15 October and 18 December,
5328-526: Was first detected on December 11, 2021. The malware attack affected the Kronos Private Cloud feature used by many large businesses including Boots , Gap Inc. , Marriott International , MGM Resorts International , PepsiCo , Sainsbury's , Samsung , Staples Inc. , Tesla, Inc. , Whole Foods Market , Yamaha Corporation , YMCA , and others while some governmental entities such as the cities of Cleveland, Springfield, Massachusetts as well as
5402-574: Was possible to exploit vulnerabilities in the protocol to infect target camera(s) with ransomware (or execute any arbitrary code). This attack was presented at the Defcon security conference in Las Vegas as a proof of concept attack (not as actual armed malware). The first attacks were on random users, typically infected through email attachments sent by small groups of criminals, demanding a few hundred dollars in cryptocurrency to unlock files (typically
5476-565: Was reintroduced as a cloud-based model to provide a unified management tool for human resources . This model allowed the company to hold more than 33 million client records in the cloud and provide services to more than 3,400 customers, according to Career Builder. The company expanded outside of the United States and opened an office in London, England. Later that year, Ultimate announced additional expansion in Singapore. The company's UltiPro
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