New Ransomware Encrypts Data And Steals Payment Info

January 22, 2019

Written by wukovits

There’s a new strain of ransomware being deployed with increasing frequency.  Believe it or not, it’s even more dangerous than the strains we’ve seen in recent months.

Unlike other types of ransomware, this one not only encrypts your files and demands payment (which is bad enough) but it also attempts to steal your credit card information via a PayPal phishing page included in the code.

Most of the ransomware we’ve seen will lock up your files and demand payment in BitCoin.  This one offers you the choice of paying the fee via PayPal and provides a “helpful” link to facilitate payment.

Unfortunately, the link in question doesn’t point to PayPal, but to a phishing site that the hackers control. The site tries to get you to enter your credit card information, along with your PayPal credentials.  Most victims will be in such a rush to get their files unlocked that they won’t even think to look. Despite being a convincing copy of the PayPal payment screen, the domain is definitely not PayPal.

Of course, even after you hand over all the required information, no payment will be made. The victim will get a message that their PayPal account has been locked. No matter, the hackers already have your financial information and can max out your credit card or drain your bank account depending on the card information you provided.

This is the most sophisticated ransomware-based attack we’ve seen to date and is a clear sign of things to come.  Based on the early success this new strain is enjoying, we can expect to see an increasing number of hackers employing similar tactics as the threat matrix continues to shift, change, and evolve.

That’s bad news for IT security personnel, who are already struggling to stem the tide.  Stay on your guard.

Used with permission from Article Aggregator

Bayou Tech

We provide solutions for your business. Find out how we can help.

Related Articles

Unlocking Small Business Success: The Impact of AI in a Digital Era

In the rapidly evolving business landscape, staying competitive necessitates embracing technological advancements. Artificial Intelligence (AI), once perceived as a luxury for larger enterprises, is now accessible to small businesses, offering new opportunities for...

Major Cyber Attack at OMV

Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) is one of a still undetermined number of government entities, major businesses, and organizations to be affected by an unprecedented Data Breach.There is no indication at this time that cyber attackers who breached MOVEit...

New Graphene Technology May Increase Hard Drive Storage

HDDs are old, well understood technology. They haven't changed much in recent years. In fact, increasingly, people are writing them off, preferring SSDs for their greater speed and smaller size, even though HDDs are less expensive. The clever folks at the University...

Send us a message

Your message was sent.