Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the victim's personal data until a ransom is paid. Difficult-to-trace digital currencies such as paysafecard or Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are commonly used for the ransoms, making tracing and prosecuting the perpetrators difficult. Sometimes the original files can be retrieved without paying the ransom due to implementation mistakes, leaked cryptographic keys or a complete lack of encryption in the ransomware.

ransomware cyberattack

family of encrypting ransomware discovered in 2016

The CryptoLocker ransomware attack was a cyberattack using the CryptoLocker ransomware that occurred from 5 September 2013 to late May 2014. The attack utilized a trojan that targeted computers running on Microsoft Windows, and was believed to have first been posted to the Internet on 5 September 2013. It propagated via infected email attachments, and via an existing Gameover ZeuS botnet. When activated, the malware encrypted certain types of files stored on local and mounted network drives using RSA public-key cryptography, with the private key stored only on the malware's control servers. Th

ransomware attack

LockBit is a cybercriminal group proposing ransomware as a service (RaaS). Software developed by the group (also called ransomware) enables malicious actors who are willing to pay for using it to carry out attacks in two tactics where they not only encrypt the victim's data and demand payment of a ransom, but also threaten to leak it publicly if their demands are not met.

ransomware trojan

Rensenware (; stylized as rensenWare) is a ransomware that infects Windows computers. It was created as a joke by Kangjun Heo (; alias "0x00000FF") and first appeared in 2017. Rensenware is unusual as an example of ransomware in that it does not request the user pay the creator of the virus to decrypt their files, instead requiring the user to achieve a required number of points in the shoot 'em up video game Undefined Fantastic Object before any decryption can take place. The main window displays Minamitsu Murasa, a character from the game. Heo released a patch that neutralizes Rensenware aft

Dridex, also known as Bugat and Cridex, is a type of malware that specializes in stealing bank credentials through a system that utilizes macros from Microsoft Word.

North Korean computer programmer

business model for cyber criminals

REvil (Ransomware Evil; also known as Sodinokibi) was a Russia-based or Russian-speaking private ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation. After an attack, REvil would threaten to publish the information on their page Happy Blog unless the ransom was received. In a high profile case, REvil attacked a supplier of the tech giant Apple and stole confidential schematics of their upcoming products. In January 2022, the Russian Federal Security Service said they had dismantled REvil and charged several of its members.

Locky is ransomware malware released in 2016. It is delivered by email (that is allegedly an invoice requiring payment) with an attached Microsoft Word document that contains malicious macros. When the user opens the document, it appears to be full of gibberish, and includes the phrase "Enable macro if data encoding is incorrect," a social engineering technique. If the user does enable macros, they save and run a binary file that downloads the actual encryption Trojan, which will encrypt all files that match particular extensions. Filenames are converted to a unique 16 letter and number combin

2024 Japanese cyberattack

TeslaCrypt was a ransomware trojan. It is now defunct, and its master key was released by the developers.

Hitler-Ransomware, or Hitler-Ransonware, is a form of ransomware created in 2016 originating in Germany. It requests payment within one hour; otherwise, it will delete files from the infected computer.

ransomware group targeting primarily Microsoft products