A new form of ransomware is attacking Android mobile devices, but the interesting thing is that it isn’t demanding a cryptocurrency ransom.
The last few years have seen ransomware attacks increase in frequency. Cities, businesses, schools, and even health care facilities have been targeted. A ransom in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency is usually demanded by the hackers, but a new malware is taking a different tack and not asking for crypto at all.
Ransomware hits mobile devices
The new ransomware, called Black Rose Lucy, was detected by Check Point, a cybersecurity company. It has been around since 2018 but the latest iteration is what caught the security researchers’ eyes.
Black Rose Lucy targets mobile devices using the Android operating system. The malware encrypts files on the mobile device and then displays a warning from the FBI saying the mobile device has been found to carry illegal pornography.
The malware works hard to instill a sense of fear into the victim by saying the victim’s personal info has been uploaded to the FBI Cyber Crime Department’s Data Center. The malware also shows a list of charges that are supposedly being leveled against the victim for their “crime.” Needless to say, all of the FBI stuff is 100% fake.
The victim is given an out if they pay a US$500 fine within three calendar days. What is interesting is that the victim pays this fine by using a credit card. Ransomware normally demands payment in virtual currencies.
Black Rose Lucy infiltrates the Android device by asking the user to enable Streaming Video Optimization (SVO). Once the user clicks “OK,” the malware then begins encrypting data.
Lucrative trade
Hackers make some pretty big bucks through ransomware attacks. The FBI reported earlier this year at the RSA Conference 2020 that victims had paid $144 million in Bitcoin alone from October 1, 2013, through November 7, 2019.
Payments by victims are just the tip of the iceberg. A report stated that the economic impact of 948 ransomware attacks against U.S. targets in 2019 had an economic impact of over $7.5 billion.
During the “Feds Fighting Ransomware: How the FBI Investigates and How You Can Help” panel at the RSA Conference 2020, the federal agency listed the top three ransomware strains. They are:
- Ryuk, which raked in $61.26 million in just over a year.
- Crysis/Dharma, with $24.48 million earned in almost three years.
- Bitpaymer, with $8.04 million over two years.
With such financial success, look for such attacks to continue. Check Point notes, “Although we have not yet seen many mobile ransomware out there, we have observed an evolution. Mobile ransomware is getting more and more sophisticated and efficient, as shown by Lucy, and this represents an important milestone in the evolution of mobile malwares. Sooner or later, the mobile world will experience a major destructive ransomware attack.”
Images courtesy of Pixabay.
Source: https://bitcoinerx.com/crime-beat/unusual-new-ransomware-does-not-demand-cryptocurrency/
