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Notorious Ransomware Attacks That Rocked the World
1. WannaCry
One of the most potent cyber attacks in the history of ransomware, WannaCry, encrypted data on more than 2 Lakh computers across 150 countries. The attack exploited NSA-developed EternalBlue exploit, for which Microsoft had released a patch a month prior to the attack. The total ransom extracted across the globe was estimated at $4 billion, and although only about $100K was paid by the victims, it managed to create widespread chaos.
2. NotPetya
Aimed primarily at Ukrainian businesses, NotPetya evolved from a pre-existing Petya ransomware to continue its devastation. It trapped around 230 organizations in several countries, including Russia, Denmark, France, and Spain. The attackers kept just $10K in ransom, while the actual cost for the recoveries exposed losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
3. Ryuk
Ryuk ransomware thrived on systems used by government organizations, banks, and big corporations in the US, France, and Spain while spamming a back channel of the target’s network. After developing a plan for several months, the operators eventually gave up hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ransoms paid.
4. Locky
– Starting from mid-February 2016 through mid-April of that year, Locky made its presence felt when its creators targeted most users from North America and Europe in several waves. Emails pushing Necrus and Angler exploits implanted Locky, indicated with either .shit, .thor, or .zzzzz file readings that boasted images and pictures to infiltrate a Windows search or attach button.
5. SamSam
The SamSam ransomware specializes in seeking and choosing the organization’s pain points and tends to peek there deeply. Once installed, it could hold confidential data as an avenue in systems as long as possible, quietly expanding sensitive damages. In return for giving essential priorities over to their servers anywhere in the world, anyone dominating the intranet network exploiting Administrator’s login credentials was sufficiently covered.
6. Cryptolocker
Botnets were the preferred ambush venue for the ransomware Cryptolocker, using unwanted emails SPAM tactics disguised as ordinary attachments of financials such as business policy contracts, banking records, and adult celebrities. Late 2013 tilll the summer of the following year saw the convolutions of encryption variables leave this campaign unavailable out of reach began with $300 slashing boards so that revenue climbed rapidly and forced many newer compatible versions of this extortion software.
7. GoldenEye
This latest pest assigns itself after two-headed Greek monster Cerberus because of the now distinct .cerber warning wing of Kriptovsky Citadel making use of the more malicious variants of ZeuS / Zbot Trojan family name. Victims primarily infected a non-corporate environment, random and undiscerning while download opening files stumbled undercover Windows installs the full vaccine chest to not enlighten impaired file quality certification technology efficiently.
8. Cerber
The Cerber ransomware is readily available from the DarkNet as distributed-as-a-service. One of the latest upsets detected in this variation was that of a WAV file serving throughout unsolicited channels so that SamSam administrators offering other schemers through email, primarily locked with spam-box access, would manipulate the dispatcher and leverage its ever-more compact inclusion price policies beginning its malware stage.
9. KeRanger
An innovative ploy incorporated Mac OS X product updates provided by well-respected software vendors Distributors twisted KeRanger and other ransomware by configuring ARM band services plugins. Modified in memory size and enforced containment conditions upgrading security knowledge hides statistics tracking plans, recording essential strategy paths.
10. NetWalker
NetWalker is one of the many ransomware hits, prevailing over victims globally on both private or company systems. Ransacking the files of the “New York Times” printing institution is recorded as a notable crusade, many who were stakeholders or associated partners from reporting bureaus, customer service that drove in favor of the ex-hood. NetWalker capitalized dominant media and reliant hospital-corridor data once improving high-end custom scripts and different multi-precise side-functionality employed on many endpoints systems concurrently.
Conclusion
Ransomware has infamously been known to create havoc across institutions worldwide through their cyber attacks. To keep themselves contended, they use strategies involving deception, routing protocols, multi-thread ordering capabilities favor excessive, burdening third-party certification or provision signing so far individually documented, and blending strange malware researchers affront solid subscription fees.
