![]() ![]() Other noncryptographic attacks on Mac infrastructure were more successful that year. The malware was never finished, as, although it encrypted files and demanded payment, the only files it encrypted were its own. The first true ransomware for Mac, “FileCoder,” was also discovered in 2014, although it was later found to have originated as early as 2012. CryptoLocker was not stopped until its associated botnet, “Gameover Zeus,” was taken down in 2014. Also notable was that CryptoLocker used 2048-bit RSA public and private key encryptions, rendering it especially difficult to crack. CryptoLocker was a pioneer in several ways: It was the first ransomware to be spread by botnet-in this case the “Gameover Zeus” botnet-though it also used more traditional tactics, such as phishing. In the second half of 2013, “CryptoLocker” emerged. Mac ransom phishing page.Īs more ransomware variants emerged, the number of recorded ransomware attacks increased nearly fourfold from 2011 to 2012. It was made up of 150 identical iframes that each had to be closed, so the browser appeared to be locked. It also demanded that the victim pay in order to avoid prosecution.Ī variant of this ransomware also emerged for Mac, although it was not cryptographic. In some cases, it activated the user’s camera to imply that the user had been recorded. “Reveton” ransomware, which emerged in 2012, was a type of scareware that displayed messages to its victims claiming that it was US law enforcement and that the user had been detected viewing illegal pornography. The malware seemed to be requiring a reinstall of the software due to fraudulent use, and ultimately extorted data from victims. In 2011, the software was upgraded to pretend to be the Windows Product Activation system. The group was arrested in August the same year-though the scheme first garnered US$16 million. ![]() Ten cybercriminals in Moscow used the software to lock victims’ computers and to display pornography until the victims sent them roughly $10 in rubles. Shortly after, in 2010, the “WinLock” trojan emerged. Once installed, Vundo attacked or suppressed antimalware programs such as Windows Defender and Malwarebytes. Vundo exploited vulnerabilities in browser plugins written in Java, or downloaded itself when users clicked on malicious email attachments. In 2009, the “Vundo” virus emerged, which encrypted computers and sold decryptors. Ransomware embraces cryptography (2009–2013) Similarly, until GPcode switched to RSA, file recovery was often possible without a password, leading cybercriminals to prefer hacking, phishing, and other threat vectors. The Archiveus password was cracked in May 2006, when it was found in the source code of the virus. They could be decrypted with a thirty-digit password provided by the threat actor after the ransom was paid.ĭespite the effectiveness of these encryption algorithms, early ransomware variants had relatively simple code, which allowed antivirus companies to identify and analyze them. The Archiveus trojan, the first ransomware to use RSA, encrypted all files in the “My Documents” folder. GPcode attacked Windows operating systems, first using symmetric encryption and later, in 2010, using the more secure RSA-1024 to encrypt documents with specific file extensions. The “Archiveus” trojan and “GPcode” were the most notable of these early ransomwares. The early years (2005–2009)Īfter this first event, no notable developments in the field of ransomware took place until 2005, when ransomware reemerged-this time using secure asymmetric encryption. The ransomware was relatively easy to remove using online decryptor tools. After a user had booted up ninety times, the names of the user’s files would be encrypted and the below message would appear, asking victims to send US$189 to a PO box in Panama. The first ransomware attack is generally regarded as the “AIDS trojan.” It is named for the 1989 World Health Organization (WHO) AIDS conference, at which biologist Joseph Popp handed out 20,000 infected floppy discs to event participants. But in order to understand how to prepare today, it’s also necessary to understand how ransomware has evolved to reach its current state. It’s imperative for all organizations to have a plan for how to prevent and respond to ransomware attacks. Where there’s data, there’s an opening for threat actors to hold this sensitive information ransom and demand payment for its release. Ransomware has grown to become a potential threat for all organizations, sparing no industry or size bracket in its goal to capture files and other company assets. ![]()
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