What is a Wiper?
A Wiper is a type of Malware designed to permanently delete or corrupt data, rendering systems inoperable. Unlike Ransomware, which encrypts data for financial gain, wipers are intended to cause maximum disruption without recovery.
Wipers are often deployed in targeted attacks, including Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) campaigns and geopolitical cyber operations. They may be delivered through Exploits, Phishing, or Remote Access Trojan (RAT) access.
What is a Wiper used for?
Wipers are used to destroy Critical Business Assets (CBA) and disrupt Critical Business Processes (CBP), often leading to significant operational and financial damage. Their primary objective is sabotage rather than profit.
Mitigation strategies include robust Backup strategies (Full Backup, Incremental Backup), network segmentation, and strong Incident Response (IR) planning. Detection relies on EDR, SIEM, and monitoring Indicators of Attack (IOA).
