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What are some of the biggest ransomware attacks in history?

The WannaCry ransomware attack was a may 2017 worldwide cyberattack by the WannaCry ransomware cryptoworm, which targeted computers running the microsoft windows operating system by encrypting data and demanding ransom payments in the bitcoin cryptocurrency. It propagated through EternalBlue, an exploit developed by the u.s. National Security Agency (NSA) for its own use.

The NotPetya ransomware attack was a June 27, 2017 cyberattack which primarily hit ukraine and spread to other countries. Its targets were microsoft windows computers, with the intent of infecting as many computers as possible and encrypting their hard drives. It is considered one of the most powerful and destructive ransomware attacks in history.

The Locky ransomware attack was a February 2016 ransomware campaign that used the Locky ransomware to encrypt victims’ files and demand a ransom in the form of the digital currency bitcoin. It was one of the largest ransomware attacks in history, affecting more than 23,000 computers in over 100 countries.

The Cerber ransomware attack was a June 2016 ransomware campaign that used the Cerber ransomware to encrypt victims’ files and demand a ransom in the form of the digital currency bitcoin. It was one of the largest ransomware attacks in history, affecting more than 5,000 computer systems in over 150 countries.

The CryptXXX ransomware attack was a May 2016 ransomware campaign that used the CryptXXX ransomware to encrypt victims’ files and demand a ransom in the form of the digital currency bitcoin. It was one of the largest ransomware attacks in history, affecting more than 3,500 computer systems in over 100 countries. Full Article

How can you tell if a file has been encrypted by ransomware?

There are a few things that you can look for if you think a file may have been encrypted by ransomware. First, check the file extension. If it has been changed to something unfamiliar, that’s a good sign that the file has been encrypted. Second, try to open the file. If it won’t open or if it opens but looks garbled, that’s another indication that the file has been encrypted. Finally, check with the program that created the file (if you know what it is) to see if it recognizes the file. If the program doesn’t recognize the file, that’s a strong indication that the file has been encrypted.

Visit malwarezero.org to learn more about ransomware. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.