If you are in around the year 2020 and search the web for ‘fastest growing malware threat’, most probably you will get the first result on ‘ransomware’. This is a prominent threat since the 2000s and they have become sophisticated and growing over the years. Ransomware is a computer malware that encrypts and blocks access to computer files until a ransom is paid. It targets both human and technical weaknesses in an organization to make the systems vulnerable.
Paying the ransom will not guarantee that the encrypted files will be released. Phishing emails with malicious attachments or drive-by downloading (unintended download of computer software from the internet) are commonly used for ransomware attacks. Crypto ransomware is one of the recent forms of malware attacks which spread through social media with the use of social engineering techniques. For example, you may get an email with a password-protected zip file attachment allegedly from a friend or a reputed company. If you open the file, your computer will be infected and restrict access to files.
The top 5 ransomware variants which target companies and individuals are CryptoWall, CTBLocker, TeslaCrypt, MSIL/Sames, and Locky. CryptoWall was the first ransomware variant that only accepted ransom payments in Bitcoin. CryptoWall is primarily spread via spam email but also infects victims through drive-by downloads and malvertising. First ransomware variants to use Tor for its C2 infrastructure (Command-and-control servers are used by attackers to maintain communications with compromised systems within a target network).
