Lawrence Abrams reports: Driven by the temptation of big ransom payments, a new ransomware called PwndLocker has started targeting the networks of businesses and local governments with ransom demands over $650,000. This new ransomware began operating in late 2019 and has since encrypted a stream of victims ranging from local cities to organizations. Read more on…
Category: Malware
Ransomware victims are paying out millions a month. One particular version has cost them the most.
Steve Ranger reports: Ransomware victims have paid out more than $140 million to crooks over the last six-and-a-half years, according to calculations by the FBI. […] Ryuk was the leading ransomware variant, generating roughly $61m between February 2018 and October 2019. Crysis/Dharma was the second most lucrative ransomware, generating $24m between November 2016 and November 2019. Third on the…
Hit with ransomware, Prince Edward Island notifies residents and continues recovery efforts
Earlier today, Maze Team added Prince Edward Island (PEI) to their website where they list victims who have refused to pay their ransom demands. As they have done in other cases, the attackers also provided some files that they exfiltrated as proof. In looking into this attack, DataBreaches.net found that PEI had issued a statement…
(UPDATED) Texas bank attacked with DoppelPaymer ransomware — attackers’ report
Update 2: The attackers have confirmed that they had named the wrong bank and that the victim bank is Community Development Bank (in Minnesota). UPDATE 1: Amanda Tavackoli SVP, Communication for TBK Bank has responded with the following statement: I’m responding to your request for information regarding the DoppelPaymer claim. Reports that CD Bank has…
GA: Records reveal City of Cartersville paid ransomware attackers $380K
James Swift reports: On May 6, 2019, the City of Cartersville alerted residents that the local government had fallen prey to a ransomware attack. Yet since then, details on the size, scope and severity of the cybersecurity breach have remained scarce. City officials broke their nearly yearlong silence on the cyberattack, however, in the wake of…
Meet the white-hat group fighting Emotet, the world’s most dangerous malware
Catalin Cimpanu reports: For more than a year, a group of security researchers and system administrators have banded together to fight back against Emotet, today’s most active and dangerous malware operation. By working together, the Cryptolaemus group has seriously hindered Emotet operations. Daily, the group publishes updates on its website and Twitter account. They share so-called indicators of…