The European police and Kaspersky Lab conducted a study that reported, “Ransomware has soared since 2012, with criminals lured by the promise of profit and ease of implementation.” According to Kaspersky Lab, “total number of users who encountered ransomware between April 2016 and March 2017 rose by 11.4 percent compared to the previous 12 months, from 2,315,931 to 2,581,026 users around the world.” The statement comes in the wake of Wannacry and Petya attacks in the last couple of months which had crippled thousands of businesses across the globe.
To counter the menace of ransomware attacks, Europol had launched the “No More Ransom” initiative in association with Kaspersky Labs, Dutch Police, and other cybersecurity agencies last year. The inititative in now backed by more than 100 companies, including top names such as Barclays Bank and Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, among others.
The “No More Ransom” website features 54 specialized decryption tools from nine partners that was used to “decrypt more than 28,000 devices, depriving cybercriminals of an estimated eight million euros in ransoms.” The website is accessible in 26 different languages including Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and Thai.
The Europol stressed on regular updation of security protocols in all computer systems. It also urged cyberattack victims to reach out to the authorities in case of any security breach. “If you do become a victim, it is important not to pay the ransom,” Europol warned.
