The beauty of working on the earth of cybersecurity is that there’s all the time one thing new. It’s possible you’ll suppose you’ve seen all of it, after which one thing comes alongside that utterly surprises you.
And that’s definitely true of the GoodWill ransomware, which safety agency CloudSEK described this week.
Actually, the GoodWill ransomware stands out a lot from the gang that you just could be forgiven for pondering that it’s an April Idiot’s joke that has by some means damaged out on the mistaken time of 12 months.
As a result of the GoodWill ransomware isn’t inquisitive about extorting cash from you. It needs you to do one thing good for the world.
Like most different ransomware, GoodWill encrypts the standard file sorts – paperwork, databases, pictures, and movies – locking away your content material.
However relatively than demand hundreds of kilos price of cryptocurrency in trade for the decryption key, the GoodWill ransomware needs you to do one thing good for the world (and supply some video proof):
Our Goal The phrase “GoodWill” means to point out kindness Story:- Staff GoodWill is just not hungry of Cash and Wealth however kindness. We need to make each particular person on the planet to be variety and needs to offer them a tough lesson to all the time assist poor and needy individuals. So, all our victims must be light and type to get their recordsdata again. We all know that you’re very excited for the play. Take Deep breath and look throughout for individuals who wants assist? You! No method, the one method to assist your self is to assist others hope you perceive
In a multi-page ransom word, the GoodWill ransomware tells you to carry out three acts of goodwill.
The primary request is so that you can donate new garments and blankets to the homeless. Victims are instructed to make a video of them giving help to individuals sleeping tough, and to publish it on their Fb, Instagram, and WhatsApp to encourage others to assist these in want.
The second requested act entails taking 5 poor kids (underneath the age of 13) to Dominos, Pizza Hut, or KFC, and permit them to order any meals that they need.
Take some Selfies of them with stuffed with smiles and comfortable faces, Make a gorgeous video story on this entire occasion and once more publish it in your Fb and Instagram Tales with photograph body and caption offered by us. Take a display shot of your posts, snap of restaurant’s invoice and ship e mail to us with legitimate publish hyperlink, later our crew will confirm the entire case and promotes you for the following exercise. Assist these much less lucky than you, for it’s actual human existence.
The ultimate requested act of goodwill entails offering monetary help to those that want pressing medical help, however can not afford to pay for it themselves.
Go to the closest hospital in your space and observe the gang round you contained in the hospital premises. You will notice that there will probably be some individuals who want sure amount of cash urgently for his or her medical therapy, however they’re unable to rearrange because of any purpose. It’s important to go close to them and speak to them that they’ve been supported by you and they don’t want to fret now, Lastly Present them most a part of required quantity. Once more, Take some Selfies of them with stuffed with smiles and comfortable faces, File Audio whereas entire dialog between you and them and ship it to us.
The ransomware attackers say that if you happen to present convincing proof that you’ve achieved the above then they are going to present a decryption software (with key and video tutorial) for the restoration of the scrambled recordsdata.
Will any of the ransomware’s victims associate with the scheme? I suppose the primary we’ll know is that if we start to see posts on social media of individuals doing charitable deeds, utilizing the GoodWill ransomware’s offered “photograph body”.
Whether or not your organization is hit by GoodWill or a extra standard financially-motivated flavour of ransomware, it’s clear that prevention is all the time higher than remedy.
Observe the identical recommendation to guard your enterprise
So how can my firm defend itself from the GoodWill ransomware?
It’s the identical ideas as we advocate with different ransomware, together with:
- making safe offsite backups.
- working up-to-date safety options and making certain that your computer systems are protected with the most recent safety patches towards vulnerabilities.
- utilizing hard-to-crack distinctive passwords to guard delicate knowledge and accounts, in addition to enabling multi-factor authentication.
- encrypting delicate knowledge wherever doable.
- educating and informing employees in regards to the dangers and strategies utilized by cybercriminals to launch assaults and steal knowledge.
Editor’s Observe: The opinions expressed on this visitor creator article are solely these of the contributor, and don’t essentially replicate these of Tripwire, Inc.
