Security News > 2020 > February > New Ransomware Targets Industrial Controls: Report

Ekans, a recently discovered ransomware variant that's designed to target industrial control systems, appears to have some of the same characteristics found in Megacortex, malware that struck several high-profile targets in 2019, according to the security firm Dragos.

It's also not clear whether the developers behind Eknas plan to target a region or specific organizations that use industrial controls systems, such as oil and gas firms, electric utilities or manufacturing facilities, according to the Dragos report.

Its code lists about 60 industrial processes that the ransomware will attempt to halt or kill if the infection is successful, according to the report.

"The specificity of processes listed in a static 'kill list' shows a level of intentionality previously absent from ransomware targeting the industrial space," the report states.

Dragos researchers warn that the owners and operators of industrial controls systems should take the time now to review their infrastructure before Ekans-based attacks spread. Dragos researchers also note that Ekans apparently is not designed to self-propagate through a network, which means that the attackers must plant the ransomware within the network either interactively or through a script.

News URL

https://www.inforisktoday.com/new-ransomware-targets-industrial-controls-report-a-13687