Security News > 2024 > June > Ransomware Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know In 2024

TechRepublic's cheat sheet about ransomware is an overview of this malware threat.

As ransomware attacks have grown into the public consciousness, attackers have taken to crafting payloads that clearly indicate that a device has simply been hacked and that victims must pay the hackers to return access.

The U.K.'s National Cyber Security Centre claimed the number of ransomware attacks is unlikely to slow down thanks to the new accessibility of generative AI. The technology could provide "Capability uplift" and lower the barrier to entry for attackers.

"False" ransomware attacks, in which attackers demand a ransom, though files are deleted whether users pay or not, have also become widespread. Perhaps the most brazen though unsuccessful of these attacks is a KillDisk variant that demands a $247,000 ransom; however, the encryption key is not stored locally or remotely, making it impossible for files to be decrypted if anyone were to pay the ransom.

While the first rudimentary ransomware attack dates back to 1989, the first widespread encrypting ransomware attack, CryptoLocker, was deployed in September 2013.

This is a collaboration between Europol, the Dutch National Police, Kaspersky Lab and McAfee that provides victims of a ransomware infection with decryption tools to remove ransomware for more than 80 variants of widespread ransomware types, including GandCrab, Popcorn Time, LambdaLocker, Jaff, CoinVault and many others.

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https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ransomware-cheat-sheet-everything-you-need-to-know/