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No ones to be left out of the ransomware game, Mac malware authors dropped the first ransomware for Mac OSes in 2016. Called KeRanger, the ransomware infected an app called Transmission that, when launched, copied malicious files that remained running quietly in the background for three days until they detonated and encrypted files. Thankfully, Apple’s built-in anti-malware program XProtect released an update soon after the ransomware was discovered that would block it from infecting user systems. Nevertheless, Mac ransomware is no longer theoretical.

Mobile ransomware

It wasn’t until the height of the infamous CryptoLocker and other similar families in 2014 that ransomware was seen on a large scale on mobile devices. Mobile ransomware typically displays a message that the device has been locked due to some type of illegal activity. The message states that the phone will be unlocked after a fee is paid. Mobile ransomware is often delivered via malicious apps, and requires that you boot the phone up in safe mode and delete the infected app in order to retrieve access to your mobile device.

Who do ransomware authors target?

When ransomware was introduced (and then re-introduced), its initial victims were individual systems (aka regular people). However, cyber criminals began to realize its full potential when they rolled out ransomware to businesses. Ransomware was so successful against businesses, halting productivity and resulting in lost data and revenue, that its authors turned most of their attacks toward them. By the end of 2016, 12.3 percent of global enterprise detections were ransomware, while only 1.8 percent of consumer detections were ransomware worldwide. And by 2017, 35 percent of small and medium-sized businesses had experienced a ransomware attack.

Ransomware report on small- and medium-sized businesses.

Geographically, ransomware attacks are still focused on western markets, with the UK, US, and Canada ranking as the top three countries targeted, respectively. As with other threat actors, ransomware authors will follow the money, so they look for areas that have both wide PC adoption and relative wealth. As emerging markets in Asia and South America ramp up on economic growth, expect to see an increase in ransomware (and other forms of malware) there as well.

What to do if I'm infected

The number one rule if you find yourself infected with ransomware is to never pay the ransom. (This is now advice endorsed by the FBI.) All that does is encourage cybercriminals to launch additional attacks against either you or someone else. However, you may be able to retrieve some encrypted files by using free decryptors.

To be clear: Not all ransomware families have had decryptors created for them, in many cases because the ransomware is utilizing advanced and sophisticated encryption algorithms. And even if there is a decryptor, it’s not always clear if it’s for right version of the malware. You don’t want to further encrypt your files by using the wrong decryption script. Therefore, you’ll need to pay close attention to the ransom message itself, or perhaps ask the advice of a security/IT specialist before trying anything.

Other ways to deal with a ransomware infection include downloading a security product known for remediation and running a scan to remove the threat. You may not get your files back, but you can rest assured the infection will be cleaned up. For screenlocking ransomware, a full system restore might be in order. If that doesn’t work, you can try running a scan from a bootable CD or USB drive.

If you want to try and thwart an encrypting ransomware infection in action, you’ll need to stay particularly vigilant. If you notice your system slowing down for seemingly no reason, shut it down and disconnect it from the Internet. If, once you boot up again the malware is still active, it will not be able to send or receive instructions from the command and control server. That means without a key or way to extract payment, the malware may stay idle.  At that point, download and install a security product and run a full scan.

How do I protect myself from ransomware?

Security experts agree that the best way to protect from ransomware is to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Read about the best ways to prevent a ransomware infection.

While there are methods to deal with a ransomware infection, they are imperfect solutions at best, and often require much more technical skill than the average computer user. So here’s what we recommend people do in order to avoid fallout from ransomware attacks.

The first step in ransomware prevention is to invest in awesome cybersecurity—a program with real-time protection that’s designed to thwart advanced malware attacks such as ransomware. You should also look out for features that will both shield vulnerable programs from threats (an anti-exploit technology) as well as block ransomware from holding files hostage (an anti-ransomware component). Customers who were using the premium version of Malwarebytes for Windows, for example, were protected from all of the major ransomware attacks of 2017.

Next, as much as it may pain you, you need to create secure backups of your data on a regular basis. Our recommendation is to use cloud storage that includes high-level encryption and multiple-factor authentication. However, you can purchase USBs or an external hard drive where you can save new or updated files—just be sure to physically disconnect the devices from your computer after backing up, otherwise they can become infected with ransomware, too.

Then, be sure your systems and software are updated. The WannaCry ransomware outbreak took advantage of a vulnerability in Microsoft software. While the company had released a patch for the security loophole back in March 2017, many folks didn’t install the update—which left them open to attack. We get that it’s hard to stay on top of an ever-growing list of updates from an ever-growing list of software and applications used in your daily life. That’s why we recommend changing your settings to enable automatic updating.

Finally, stay informed. One of the most common ways that computers are infected with ransomware is through social engineering. Educate yourself (and your employees if you’re a business owner) on how to detect malspam, suspicious websites, and other scams. And above all else, exercise common sense. If it seems suspect, it probably is.

How does ransomware affect my business?

GandCrab, SamSam, WannaCry, NotPetya—they’re all different types of ransomware and they’re hitting businesses hard. In fact, ransomware attacks on businesses went up 88% in the second half of 2018 as cybercriminals pivot away from consumer-focused attacks. Cybercriminals recognize big business translates to big payoffs, targeting hospitals, government agencies, and commercial institutions. All told, the average cost of a data breach, including remediation, penalties, and ransomware payouts, works out to $3.86 million.

The majority of ransomware cases as of late have been identified as GandCrab. First detected in January of 2018, GandCrab has already gone through several versions as the threat authors make their ransomware harder to defend against and strengthen its encryption. It’s been estimated GandCrab has already raked in somewhere around $300 million in paid ransoms, with individual ransoms set from $600 to $700,000.

In another notable attack happening back in March of 2018, the SamSam ransomware crippled the City of Atlanta by knocking out several essential city services—including revenue collection and the police record keeping system. All told, the SamSam attack cost Atlanta $2.6 million to remediate.

Considering the spate of ransomware attacks and the tremendous cost associated with them, now is a good time to get smart about protecting your business from ransomware. We’ve covered the topic in great detail previously but here’s a quick gloss on how to protect your business from malware.

Backup your data. Assuming you have backups available, remediating a ransomware attack is as simple as wiping and reimaging infected systems. You may want to scan your backups to ensure they haven’t been infected, because some ransomware is designed to look for network shares. Accordingly, you’d do well to store data backups on a secure cloud server with high-level encryption and multiple-factor authentication.

Patch and update your software. Ransomware often relies on exploit kits to gain illicit access to a system or network (e.g. GandCrab). As long as the software across your network is up-to-date, exploit-based ransomware attacks can’t hurt you. On that note, if your business runs on outdated or obsolete software then you’re at risk for ransomware, because the software makers aren’t putting out security updates anymore.

Get rid of abandonware and replace it with software still being supported by the manufacturer.Educate your end users on malspam and creating strong passwords. The enterprising cybercriminals behind Emotet are using the former banking Trojan as a delivery vehicle for ransomware. Emotet relies on malspam to infect an end user and get a foothold on your network. Once on your network, Emotet shows worm-like behavior, spreading from system to system using a list of common passwords. By learning how to spot malspam and implementing multi-factor authentication, you’re end users will stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.Invest in good cybersecurity technology. Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection and Response, for example, gives you detection, response and remediation capabilities via one convenient agent across your entire network. What do you do if you’re already a victim of ransomware? No one wants to deal with ransomware after the fact.

Check and see if there is a decryptor. In some rare cases you may be able to decrypt your data without paying, but ransomware threats evolve constantly with the aim of making it harder and harder to decrypt your files so don’t get your hopes up.Don’t pay the ransom. We’ve long advocated not paying the ransom and the FBI (after some back and forth) agrees. Cybercriminals don’t have scruples and there’s no guarantee you’ll get your files back. Moreover, by paying the ransom you’re showing cybercriminals that ransomware attacks work.

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