A new "cocktail" of malware steals passwords before they are encrypted by Windows.
A number of hacked sites redirect their visitors to sites containing the infamous Angler exploit kit, which helps hackers carry out drive-by attacks relatively easily.
This kind of her attacks is particularly insidious, given that it can be done automatically and without his knowing user. Once the Angler exploit kit finds a vulnerable application, such as Flash, it automatically serves up the required malware.
According to a publication by Heimdal Security, a widely used software that steals data known as Pony "systematically collects all used usernames and passwords from the infected system" and sends them to servers controlled by hackers.
This allows malicious users to access websites, e-commerce sites, and even corporate applications from which they could steal extra data.
Immediately after the Angler exploit kit, it serves the widely used CryptoWall 4 ransomware, which locks all the victim's files until the ransom that malicious users requests.
This particular ransomware is served to thousands of users every week, bringing in $18 million in profits for fraudsters, according to FBI estimates. Other figures show the Cryptowall family has yielded 325 to date millions dollars in Bitcoin to those who serve it.
One of the best ways to mitigate the attack is to keep all applications up to date. You should also frequently back up your files to an external hard drive.
Meanwhile, BitDefender has released a "vaccine" that can prevent Cryptowall ransomware infections and is available for free.
Bitdefender CryptoWall Vaccine
