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ESET, s.r.o., is a software company specializing in cybersecurity. ESET's security products are made in Europe and provides security software in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Its software is localized into more than 30 languages.
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the victim's personal data until a ransom is paid. They commonly use difficult-to-trace digital currencies such as paysafecard or Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are 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 or complete lack of encryption in the ransomware.
Bitdefender is a multinational cybersecurity technology company dual-headquartered in Bucharest, Romania and Santa Clara, California, with offices in the United States, Europe, Australia and the Middle East.
Bleeping Computer is a website covering technology news and offering free computer help via its forums that was created by Lawrence Abrams in 2004. It publishes news focusing heavily on cybersecurity, but also covers other topics including computer software, computer hardware, operating system and general technology.
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. The malware then displayed a message which offered to decrypt the data if a payment was made by a stated deadline, and it threatened to delete the private key if the deadline passes. If the deadline was not met, the malware offered to decrypt data via an online service provided by the malware's operators, for a significantly higher price in bitcoin. There was no guarantee that payment would release the encrypted content.
TeslaCrypt was a ransomware trojan. It is now defunct, and its master key was released by the developers.
Locky is ransomware malware released in 2016. It is delivered by email 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 combination. Initially, only the .locky file extension was used for these encrypted files. Subsequently, other file extensions have been used, including .zepto, .odin, .aesir, .thor, and .zzzzz. After encryption, a message instructs them to download the Tor browser and visit a specific criminal-operated Web site for further information.
The WannaCry ransomware attack was a worldwide cyberattack in May 2017 by the WannaCry ransomware cryptoworm, which targeted computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system by encrypting data and demanding ransom payments in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency. It was propagated using EternalBlue, an exploit developed by the United States National Security Agency (NSA) for Windows systems. EternalBlue was stolen and leaked by a group called The Shadow Brokers a month prior to the attack. While Microsoft had released patches previously to close the exploit, much of WannaCry's spread was from organizations that had not applied these, or were using older Windows systems that were past their end of life. These patches were imperative to cyber security, but many organizations did not apply them, citing a need for 24/7 operation, the risk of formerly working applications breaking because of the changes, lack of personnel or time to install them, or other reasons.
Petya is a family of encrypting malware that was first discovered in 2016. The malware targets Microsoft Windows–based systems, infecting the master boot record to execute a payload that encrypts a hard drive's file system table and prevents Windows from booting. It subsequently demands that the users make a payment in Bitcoin in order to regain access to the system.
Jigsaw is a form of encrypting ransomware malware created in 2016. It was initially titled "BitcoinBlackmailer", but later came to be known as "Jigsaw" due to featuring an image of Billy the Puppet from the Saw film franchise. The malware encrypts computer files and gradually deletes them, demanding payment of a ransom to decrypt the files and halt the deletion.
REvil 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.
Ryuk is a type of ransomware known for targeting large, public-entity Microsoft Windows cybersystems. It typically encrypts data on an infected system, rendering the data inaccessible until a ransom is paid in untraceable bitcoin. Ryuk is believed to be used by two or more criminal groups, most likely Russian or Ukrainian, who target organizations rather than individual consumers.
Emsisoft Ltd. is a New Zealand-based anti-virus software distributed company. They are notable for decrypting ransomware attacks to restore data.
On 14 May 2021, the Health Service Executive (HSE) of Ireland suffered a major ransomware cyberattack which caused all of its IT systems nationwide to be shut down.
Conti is malware developed and first used by the Russia-based hacking group "Wizard Spider" in December, 2019. It has since become a full-fledged ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation used by numerous threat actor groups to conduct ransomware attacks.
Hive was a ransomware as a service (RaaS) operation carried out by the eponymous cybercrime organization between June 2021 and January 2023. The group's purpose was to attack mainly public institutions to subsequently demand ransom for release of hijacked data.
Clop is a cybercriminal organization known for its multilevel extortion techniques and global malware distribution. It has extorted more than $500 million in ransom payments, targeting major organizations worldwide. Clop gained notoriety in 2019 and has since conducted high-profile attacks, using large-scale phishing campaigns and sophisticated malware to infiltrate networks and demand ransom, threatening to expose data if demands are not met.
LockBit is a cybercriminal group proposing ransomware as a service (RaaS). Software developed by the group 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.
BlackCat, also known as ALPHV and Noberus, is a ransomware family written in Rust. It made its first appearance in November 2021. By extension, it is also the name of the threat actor(s) who exploit it.
References
- ↑ "BleepingComputer.com Is Now a Partner With No More Ransom!". BleepingComputer . Retrieved 2024-12-18.
- ↑ "The quiet scheme saving thousands from ransomware". BBC News . 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
- ↑ Hofmans, Tijs. "Decryptietools van No More Ransom zijn in zes jaar tien miljoen keer gedownload". Tweakers (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-12-18.