• Charles Sturt University research introduces a revolutionary approach to stopping ransomware attacks by leveraging ransomware-resilient file safe havens
• Ransomware attacks are increasing and developers continuously refine their tactics, making these threats increasingly sophisticated and pervasive
• The REDWIRE project addresses a critical gap in existing cybersecurity defences, providing a last line of defence to safeguard sensitive data from ansomware threats

A Charles Sturt University academic’s research has evolved into a revolutionary approach to defending against ransomware attacks.

Senior Lecturer in Computing in the Charles Sturt School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering Dr Arash Mahboubi (pictured above) said the Ransomware Resilient File Safe Havens/REDWIRE project serves as the last line of defence, stepping in when upper-layer security systems fail to detect or mitigate threats.

Dr Mahboubi explained that because ransomware attacks are growing more sophisticated, organisations and individuals are at constant risk of financial losses, data breaches and reputational damage.

“The REDWIRE project addresses a critical gap in existing cybersecurity defences, providing a last line of defence to safeguard sensitive data from ransomware threats,” he said.

This project originated from Dr Mahboubi’s PhD thesis research and further developed in collaboration with CSIRO Data61 and the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CSCRC).

The project was initially supported by seed funding in October 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic to explore his novel approach to combating ransomware cyber-attacks and expanded into a large-scale two-year project in collaboration with government agencies and cybersecurity institutions.

Research and development activities were conducted across multiple institutions, including Charles Sturt University, CSIRO Data61, and the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CSCRC), the New South Wales (NSW) Government, and the Western Australia (WA) Government.

Dr Mahboubi said ransomware has significantly shaped the adversarial landscape, employing multiple attack strategies that inflict severe consequences on victims.

“These impacts extend to both individuals and organisations, leading to psychological distress, financial losses, reputational damage, operational disruption and potential legal ramifications,” he said.

“Ransomware developers continuously refine their tactics, making these threats increasingly sophisticated and pervasive.”

Dr Mahboubi said this research introduces a revolutionary approach to stopping ransomware attacks by leveraging ransomware-resilient file safe havens, thus the system ensures secure cloud data storage that remains resilient even in the face of sophisticated cyber threats.

“REDWIRE acts as a fail-safe mechanism when upper-layer security systems fail to detect or mitigate ransomware attacks,” Dr Mahboubi said.

“It provides protection for both legacy and modern systems, ensuring a more resilient cybersecurity posture.”

However, Dr Mahboubi cautioned that addressing the evolving ransomware threat requires strong industrial collaboration and integration with small and medium-sized enterprises.

“Research in this domain must not remain theoretical but must be actively supported and adopted by businesses to enhance real-world cybersecurity resilience,” he said. “This is a goal we are striving to achieve at Charles Sturt University.”

Co-researcher Dr Seyit Camtepe said malicious or unauthorized encryption of unreplaceable data is a growing problem for everyone despite the availability of various cybersecurity solutions.

“This project materialised a decade of novel research into a future-proof solution enabling data protection and availability even when end-point computers are infected,” Dr Camtepe said.

“The solution does not replace the existing security solutions but identifies and fills a significant gap to ensure those solution’s efficacy.”

To date, the project has achieved the highest Technology Readiness Level (TRL 7) and has been tested by the NSW Government’s NSW Department of Customer Service for its functionality and effectiveness. It has also been recognised as a finalist in the iAward 2024 in the ‘Technology Platform’ category.

The project has been patented under the title ‘Ransomware Resilient File Safe Havens for Cloud Data Storage’ (Patent Link: WO2024148395A1), registered under WIPO (PCT) and the initiative has been trademarked under REDWIRE and has gained recognition from the Cyber Security CRC.

Potential students interested in studying information technology and computer science can find information on courses here.

Dr Mahboubi was a Research Acceleration Fellow 2023-2024 in the Charles Sturt Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Futures Institute.