Immediately an alert will appear on the screen informing the victim that the system is encrypted, and a bitcoin ransom must be paid to retrieve a decryption key. Upon infection, the malicious software encrypts all data and rapidly spreads in the entire infrastructure. In recent years, hackers have developed sophisticated scams with copycat emails and templates, making it often hard even for the most tech-savvy to detect a phishing attempt.Īll it takes is for an individual to click on the link in the body of the email or download the attachment.” Ransomware infections usually start with drive-by downloading or phishing campaigns: a suspicious email from an unknown source that manipulates the user through social engineering techniques to click on a link or download an infected attachment. The CryptoLocker ransomware attack remains, alongside Petya and WannaCry, one of the most prolific large-scale attacks in malware history, designed specifically for Windows operating systems.Ĭybersecurity specialists say the first CryptoLocker attack took place on September 5, 2013, yet the ransomware crippled about 500,000 Microsoft Windows computers at a rampant infection rate until it was contained in May 2014 following Operation Tovar.īut where do ransomware attacks originate and how do they work? How Ransomware Usually Operates Ransomware attacks are real and dangerous.

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