Woburn, MA – July 26, 2022 –
No Extra Ransom, the initiative launched to assist victims of
ransomware decrypt their information, has celebrated its six-year anniversary.
For the reason that launch, it has grown from 4 companions to 188 and has
contributed 136 decryption instruments overlaying 165 ransomware
households. In doing so, it has helped greater than 1.5 million individuals
decrypt their gadgets everywhere in the world, with the challenge obtainable in
37 languages.
Ransomware
encrypts helpful info saved on victims’ computer systems by infecting
them utilizing insecure and fraudulent web sites, software program downloads,
malicious attachments,
and thru RDP (distant desk protocol) assaults and exploiting
weak internet-facing servers. Criminals then search ransom from the
sufferer, promising to retrieve their encrypted information in return. This sort
of malware has been a cybersecurity concern for a lot of
years, with attackers concentrating on all sorts of stakeholders, together with
each clients and enterprises, and evolving from separate gangs to
full-fledged companies with their very own ecosystems.
To
assist individuals and organizations retrieve entry to helpful info,
the Nationwide Excessive Tech Crime Unit of the Dutch Nationwide Police,
Europol’s European Cybercrime
Centre, Kaspersky and different companions collectively created the No Extra Ransom initiative in 2016.
On the official web site, members can publish decryption instruments,
tips, and directions on report a cybercrime, regardless
of the place it occurred. These instruments and supplies have helped victims of
165 ransomware households get their information again with out
any funds. Along with the decryption instruments, the challenge additionally
goals to unfold info on how ransomware works and what measures can
be taken to forestall an infection.
Kaspersky
is among the founding companions that contributed to 9 decryption instruments
that helped to retrieve the info encrypted by 38 ransomware households.
Since 2016,
these instruments have been downloaded greater than 185,000 instances.
“Ransomware
is an efficient option to get cash from victims and stays one of many
greatest cybersecurity considerations,” mentioned Jornt van
der Weil, safety researcher at Kaspersky International Analysis and Evaluation
Crew. “In simply the primary three months of 2022, greater than 74,000 distinctive
customers have been discovered to have been uncovered to one of these risk – and all
these assaults have been efficiently detected.
This has led to a rise within the tendency of serving to these
initiatives, and I’m extraordinarily joyful that we’re capable of help individuals
and corporations in restoring their digital belongings, with out paying the
attackers. This fashion we hit the criminals the place it hurts
– their enterprise mannequin – as customers are now not compelled to pay to
decrypt their information. We are going to carry on combating ransomware with our
present and future companions.”
To
discover additional info on serving to within the combat in opposition to ransomware, or
to study extra concerning the No Extra Ransom initiative, please go to the
initiative’s web site
at
nomoreransom.org.
