Most likely a term unknown to many users but actually affecting more than you think. In short, “Ransomware as a service” is a tool for cybercriminals to develop and publish different types of ransomware – without having a greater technical insight. This phenomenon have caused several new strains of ransomware to appear, and thus even more ransomware attacks.
Due to these circumstances and the number of infected computers, the attacks are not limited to private users. Companies and institutions are also being attacked at an increasing rate.
How does it work?
“Ransomware as service” offers cybercriminals the option to buy a template and the tools necessary to develop software that can cause great harm to any system. These types of attack have in most cases originated in Europe but now attacks also occur from Asia and Africa. The easy access to templates and tools is one of the defining factors for the spread of ransomware.
Some of the major threats such as Cerber and Lockey is created with “Ransomware as service” tools. Expert’s asses that 70% of all ransomware is directly linked to “Ransomware as service”.
Protect yourself and your computer:
Ransomware requires that the user actively agrees to allow the software access to the system. The best defense against any ransomware software is making sure that you only open/run files or programs that you trust.
Always take extra caution when dealing with attached files, as that is one of the primary ways of ransomware infecting systems. If unsure about the validity of the file make sure to scan it with security software.
Security software is designed to identify, locate and eliminate any potential threats.
Anti Explorator can scan individual files, folder or your entire system for potential threats before they can do any damage. You can find the latest version here and download it free.
If you have any questions about ransomware or other threats, you are more than welcome to contact our support staff here