Can ransomware encrypt databases?

Question

File encryption is the traditional approach by attackers using ransomware. This works well on PCs or a company's network drive, but it is not a very effective approach for critical databases with a high frequency of backups.

Does ransomware encrypt database files?

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that locks access to user files until a ransom is paid. Quite common “locking mechanism” is by encrypting all files on a user computer, server or even the entire network.

Can ransomware encrypt SQL databases?

Typically the ransomware is devious enough to detect things like SQL Server and to stop the SQL Service (or reboot) in order to get access to encrypt the database and log files. In the situations that I have seen the ransomware has been able to find the backups on a local or network share and encrypt those also.

Can ransomware encrypt encrypted data?

Encrypting files is one of the most common ransomware attacks. This type of ransomware can be successfully deployed to encrypt already encrypted files (secondary encryption). Ransomware attackers will demand money for the encryption key required to unlock the files.

Can a virus infect a database?

Malware infecting a database server can be a serious problem. The result may be loss of data, loss of access to the database, or loss of control of the database server's hardware. Protection against malware is typically provided by “virus protection” software running on firewalls and the servers themselves.

Expert · Answer