Following the grand-scale damages (12,000 victims per week)
caused by Cryptolocker, cyber-criminals are now seeking to mass-produce and
customise new forms of ransomware. As we’ve discussed in a previous article,
Crytoplocker is an increasingly common Trojan horse malware, which encrypts its
victim’s files and then demands a bitcoin payment for the decryption.
According to James Lyne, global head of security research at
Sophos, there’s evidence that many cyber-thieves are willing to cash in to get
a share from the success of ransomware programs such as Cryptolocker.
Documents have been circulating online looking for
developers to write a kit that anybody could use to design their own ransomware.
These kits have led to a huge rise in the number of other malicious programs, and
by removing the need for any technical skill whatsoever; they are enabling more
and more users to commit cyber-crimes for the first time. What’s more, some
criminally minded developers even offer technical support for those that get
stuck with creating their malicious software.
Because of its high success rates in making victims pay, Cryptolocker is expected to attract even more "investors" and followers, who
will try to profit from launching modified versions of the program. "There
could be a lot more mainstream cybercriminals looking to go "noisy"," said
James Lyne. He also added that "Cryptolocker is very much a deviation from
the norm," and “it is a sign of things to come.”
To learn more about the methods and dangers of Cryptolocker,
read our previous blog entry and watch the following video:
