There can be no two way to the fact that Ransomware has easily become one of the biggest banes of digital security for individual users and enterprises alike.
Ransomware is a malware that locks an infected computer or encrypts its files (converts the files into an unreadable form). It then demands a ransom from the victim to let go off the system or decrypt the files.
The threat of ransomware has been steadily growing over the past few years, with attackers bringing in more sophistication into their attacks. We have outlined 8 important ransomware FAQs for you to know and understand so that you can be more prepared.
Many might suppose that this nefarious malware is relatively new. But, its history can be traced back to 1989. AIDS Trojan is known to be the first ransomware virus; it was created to target the attendees of a World Health Organization’s international conference on AIDS. Although this malware was not technologically advanced and taken down without much effort, it became the forbearer of all the ransomware families that followed. They include:
Ransomware | Time of occurrence |
Archiveus | 2006 |
Unnamed | 2011 |
Reveton | 2012 |
Cryptolocker | 2013 |
Cryptodefense | 2014 |
Sypeng and Koler | 2014 |
CTB-Locker and SimplLocker | 2014 |
LockerPin | 2015 |
TeslaCrypt | 2015 |
LowLevel04 and Chimera | 2015 |
Ransom32 and 7ev3n | 2016 |
Locky | 2016 |
SamSam | 2016 |
KeRanger | 2016 |
Petya | 2016 |
Maktub | 2016 |
Jigsaw | 2016 |
CryptXXX | 2016 |
Zcryptor | 2016 |
There are two primary variants of the ransomware malware.
1. File Encrypting Ransomware – encrypts the data (all types of files including pictures, word docs, spreadsheets, PDFs, videos, etc.) it can find in the computer that it infects.
2. Screen Locker Ransomware – Locks the screen of the infected computer and renders it useless.
Incidences of file-encrypting ransomware are more common than screen lockers. This could be because attackers want their victims to use their computer in order to pay computer their encrypted data.
• The most common medium used by attackers to spread ransomware is email. Victims are sent fake and devious emails loaded with attachments that contain ransomware malware.
• Visiting compromised and infected websites can infect the user’s system with a ransomware.
When a computer is infected by a ransomware, nothing extraordinary happens that can alert the user of the incident. It is when the ransomware displays its ransom note (demanding a certain sum of money) that the user realizes that something is wrong.
The one universal truth about cyber is that they are not biased. Anyone who uses a computer and is connected to the Internet is a potential victim. And this could be a blogger sitting in a restaurant accessing the free Wi-Fi and working on a blog or a big retail organization.
The main reason that makes ransomware a hard nut to crack is the technology they use to encrypt files. Primitive ransomware families used an encryption method which was relatively easy to break. The modern day’s ransomware, however, uses a more complex method to encrypt the victim’s files. Here, criminals have two things – a public key for encrypting the files and a private key for decrypting the files. It is the private key that a victim needs to buy in order to decrypt the files. Without this key, the decryption is impossible.
While the answer is easier said than done, it is strongly recommended never to pay the ransom. Paying extortionists only encourages them. Secondly, it is never guaranteed that you will get back your files even after you have met the ransomware’s demands; after all, you are dealing with crooks with zero morale.
Because it is impossible to decrypt any files without the private key, preventing a ransomware infection is critical. Below are some simple security measures that reduce the risk of ransomware attacks to a great extent.
Source
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3095956/data-breach/the-history-of-ransomware.html#slide22
https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint/a-brief-history-of-ransomware/d/d-id/1325212
70 Comments
I have opened a email and my some files like videos, exl files etc r unreadable, not opening… And a note is also displaying demanding some money and saying that my files r encrypted with RSA4096…. I have Quik heal total security.. How I can recover?? I don’t have backup.. 🙁
Hi Manish,
Thank you for writing in. Our support engineers would gladly help you with this issue. Please visit https://bit.ly/QHChat to chat with us online. You can also raise a ticket at https://bit.ly/Askus and we will get back to you at the earliest.
Regards,
hello..
my laptop was infected by ransomnware…i had try alot.. installing different antivirus and decrypt method ..bt cnt success-ed please any one knw more den share ??
Hi Rinkal,
Thank you for writing in. Our support engineers would gladly help you with this issue. Please call us on our toll-free no. 1800-121-7377 or visit https://bit.ly/QHChat to chat with us online. You can also raise a ticket at https://bit.ly/Askus and we will get back to you at the earliest.
Regards,
Thank’s
Give me 2016 agust product key
Hi Raju,
If you have lost your product key, please visit http://www.quickheal.co.in/lost to retrieve it.
Regards,
Hello. Thanks for your continuous efforts to warn Quick Heal users about ransomware. I would really like to know more about this dangerous malware. It encrypts files of infected systems & that is possible when any variant of it gets installed. Is it possible to get rid of this kind of infection by a clean install of OS ? Is it possible to get all files back (except files on C drive) by this method ? Does it lock the BIOS also ?
Thanks for the valuable information. How is it possible to get rid of this kind of infection automatically during automatic updation.
THANKS TO TAKE INFO
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I need one trial version antivirus.
Hi Ahsan,
Thanks for writing in. Please visit https://www.quickheal.co.in/download-free-antivirus to download a Free 30-day Trial product of your choice.
Regards,
softwer is not update
Thanks
Thanks a lot for your extremely valuable advice.
WE SHOULD KNOW VERY WELL ABOUT ‘ RANSOMWARE ‘ AND ITS VARIOUS CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES……
THE ONLY WAY OUT TO GET RID OUT OF ‘ RANSOMWARE ‘ IS TO INSTALL A WORLD CLASS ANTI-VIRUS…….
How can one become a contributor to this blog? I am also an Information Technologist.
Hi,
Thanks for writing in. You can email us your original blog post to cw@quickheal.com. Once it goes through our editing process, we can publish it under our Guest Profile and acknowledge you as the original writer.
Regards,
some of the software are not updated
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What Is This ?
Hi,
This post is about important facts about the malware family called Ransomware.
Regards,
My all word & excel files are converted into Zepto Ransamware. How will I recover the same?
Hi Vinayak,
Thank you for writing in. Our support engineers would gladly help you with this issue. Please visit https://bit.ly/QHChat to chat with us online. You can also raise a ticket at https://bit.ly/Askus and we will get back to you at the earliest.
Regards,
thank you
Sir I want remove the threats can you help me.?
Hi Zunnoon,
Thank you for writing in. Our support engineers would gladly help you with this issue. Please visit https://bit.ly/QHChat to chat with us online. You can also raise a ticket at https://bit.ly/Askus and we will get back to you at the earliest.
Regards,
Team Quick Heal
WE SHOULD KNOW VERY WELL ABOUT ‘ RANSOMWARE ‘ AND ITS VARIOUS CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES……
THE ONLY WAY OUT TO GET RID OUT OF ‘ RANSOMWARE ‘ IS TO INSTALL A WORLD CLASS ANTI-VIRUS…….
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. How is it possible to get rid of this kind of infection automatically during automatic updation.
Quick Heal Renewal 1-2 years
Hi Tahzeeb,
You can renew your Quick Heal here: https://www.quickheal.co.in/quick-heal-product-renew/
Regards,
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Hello. Thanks for your continuous efforts to warn Quick Heal users about ransomware. I would really like to know more about this dangerous malware. It encrypts files of infected systems & that is possible when any variant of it gets installed. Is it possible to get rid of this kind of infection by a clean install of OS ? Is it possible to get all files back (except files on C drive) by this method ? Does it lock the BIOS also ?
I have purchased Quick HEAL Total Security for renewal on 20.08.2016 online. I have provided a product key. my transaction ID is GSM34691948895 (Bill Desk). But my product is not renewal.Please renewal my product immediately.
Hi,
We have escalated the matter to the Renewal Team; they will get in touch with you soon.
Regards,
Team Quick Heal
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Hi,
Thank you for writing in. Our support engineers would gladly help you with this issue. Please visit https://bit.ly/QHChat to chat with us online. You can also raise a ticket at https://bit.ly/Askus and we will get back to you at the earliest.
Regards,
all time my computer to see the kill page but quick heal antivirous activity
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I am using Quick Heal Internet Security 17.00, 64-bit. Does it have Anti Ransomware protection? I checked compare products option. But no information there. Please help.
Hi Anindya,
Thanks for writing in. Yes, Quick Heal v17.00 does have Anti-ransomware feature. Read our blog post that explains how this technology works – https://blogs.quickheal.com/infographic-how-quick-heal-helps-you-fight-the-ransomware-menace/
Regards,
Thank you 🙂
i have problem in inter net surfing some sites will not open in same network and i will change network then these site will open in other network please give me suggestion
Hi Mahaveer,
Thank you for writing in. Our support engineers would gladly help you with this issue. Please visit https://bit.ly/QHChat to chat with us online. You can also raise a ticket at https://bit.ly/Askus and we will get back to you at the earliest.
Regards,
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I have not any type of Bank Card, hence I requested to local service man to renew my pro but he has not visited.