Recent Ransom Attacks
The recent ransom attack that affected over 150 countries affecting thousands of public a s well as private computers and networks put the spotlight on cybersecurity. Malicious hackers use attachments in emails to spread the ransomware. Most people do not mind opening an attachment, and this has led to an increase of ransom attacks in the recent past. Here are the notable and recent ransom attacks.
WannaCry
This ransomware went viral, and affected over 30,000 computers and networks. Affected individuals report that they get a pop-up screen asking them to pay $300 via cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. They got threats of permanent deletion of their entire databases.
Hackers, Shadow Brokers, identified a flaw in Microsoft operating systems, who then created a tool to exploit it and they held millions of people out of their systems. In a report by Elliptic, by the first day of the attack, bitcoins associated to Shadow Brokers, had received over bitcoins worth $33,000.
Microsoft announced that it had created a patch for the hole but there are fears that many of the affected people will not benefit because of the large number of people using counterfeited operating systems.
Kirk Ransomware
This is one of the most dreadful ransomware software, and it scans Drive (C:) and encrypts particular extensions as well as targeting over 600 file types. Once the encryption is complete, files and folders would appear with a ‘.kirked’ Extension and leaves you a ransom note with a Star Wars artwork of Captain and Spock with a, “Oh no! The Kirk Ransomware has encrypted your files!”
Once compromised, the victims would have to transfer Monero cryptocurrency to a Monero Wallet and send an email with details of your wallet address and computer name to kirk.payments@scryptmail.com. Cyber security officials have not yet been able to create a working decryption code and affected members can only pay the hackers to get access to their files.
Philadelphia Ransomware
This is a nightmare for the health industry in the world. Like WannaCry, it spread through spear-phishing emails. The hospitals received an email with a shortened URL, which directed them to a personal storage space, with the Philadelphia ransomware and the target hospital’s logo.
The employees would get trapped with only a few links that activated the ransomware which affected entire network systems. Once Philadelphia infiltrates the system, it contacts the C&C server and moves all data from the computers on the network.
The server generates a victim ID, 0.3 as the ransom price and a Bitcoin wallet ID to make the transfer. It locks out the victim until they pay the ransom price. Fortunately, cyber securities made head way by arresting a 19-year old trying to spread the ransomware in Austria
Conclusion
The concerned authorities, however, do not have data to investigate the extent of such cyber ransomware attacks because most attacks go unreported. The best way to guard yourself against ransom attacks is to have genuine operating systems and regularly updating them. You will be safer with the latest protection against new age ransomware.
Refrain from opening unverified emails or clicking on the links embedded in them; they are the triggers of the ransomware to start installing on your computer.
