A large-scale ransomware attack reported to be caused by a variant of the Petya ransomware is currently hitting various users, particularly in Europe. This variant, which Trend Micro already detects as RANSOM_PETYA.SMA, is known to use both the EternalBlue exploit and the PsExec tool as infection vectors.
Read MoreAs if encrypting files and holding them hostage is not enough, cybercriminals who create and spread crypto-ransomware are now resorting to causing blue screen of death (BSOD) and putting their ransom notes at system startup—as in, even before the operating system loads. Imagine turning on your computer and instead of the usual Windows icon loading, you get a flashing red and white screen with a skull-and-crossbones instead.
Read MoreIn 2017, we saw digital extortion increasingly become cybercriminals’ first and foremost money-making modus operandi. It’s mostly due to ransomware — cybercriminals’ currently most popular weapon of choice, helping them in extorting cash from users all over the world and in hitting big businesses and organizations.
By infecting business-critical systems through their shotgun-style ransomware attacks and thus crippling enterprise day-to-day operations, cybercriminals managed to force big companies to bend to their will. Digital extortion has become the most successful moneymaking venture for cybercriminals, and the most effective in terms of the scale of their victims. Big or small, everyone gets hit, and everyone has to pay.
Read MoreWe came across a new variant of the disk-wiping KillDisk targeting financial organizations in Latin America. Trend Micro detects it as TROJ_KILLDISK.IUB. Trend Micro™ Deep Discovery™ proactively blocks any intrusions or attacks associated with this threat. Initial analysis (which is still ongoing) reveals that it may be a component of another payload, or part of a bigger attack. We are still analyzing this new KillDisk variant and we will update this post as we uncover more details about this threat.
Read MoreDespite being nearly a decade old, and years past its peak, DOWNAD, also known as CONFICKER, has not gone away. 9 years to the month after its first discovery, we take a look at the numbers to see where DOWNAD is today, and why it is still one of the world’s most prevalent malware.
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