Most people now know the “Petya” name from the widespread cyberattacks last week, where companies and private users around the globe suffered from the many attacks. You can read our article on Petya here.
Hackers behind the Petyavirus recently released more information on how the victims can pay a ransom to decrypt any infected files. Previously it was believed that the virus was not advanced enough to function as Ransomware, as it lacked some of the features usually related with the unlocking of encrypted software.
That did however change when a statement was released on DeepPaste – and anonymous internetforum, which only can be accessed by using a specific browser.
Here hackers demand a ransom of 100 Bitcoins (USD 250.000) in order to release the decryption key. Most security experts believe that the statement actually is from the hackers, since the post were verified by the key needed to unlock encrypted files. Experts also agree that the key actually works as a demonstration of the keys ability to remove the encryption was shown on an online media. The key is thought to be able to remove encryptions from all systems infected, and not just per user. At this time, it is not known if anyone have bought the key.
We strongly advice our users to make sure that they have installed an effective and updated security program such as Anti Explorator. These programs are specifically designed to combat threats such as Petya and other types of malware.
If you have any questions please contact our support team here.