Fraudsters behind TeslaCrypt ransomware have managed to collect 76.500 dollars in about 10 weeks, according to a new survey.
The TeslaCrypt ransomware, was first discovered in February of 2015 by security researchers from Dell SecureWorks.
After encrypting the files που πραγματοποιεί στα συστήματα των θυμάτων του το TeslaCrypt απαιτεί ransom of $150 or more, paid in Bitcoin. The malware uses the Tor anonymous network to hide the crooks and command and control servers.
Investigators better safetyCisco's engineers were able to analyze and crack it TeslaCrypt ransomware. So at the end of April they released one decryption utility. But the release of the data recovery tool turned it all upside down base of fraud.
The latest research conducted by FireEye security researchers followed the money trail earned by ransomware.
We recorded the victims' payments to the fraudsters, which were available because the group used Bitcoin. We found that between February and April 2015, the perpetrators extorted $ 76.522 from 163 victims. That amount may seem insignificant compared to the millions earned annually by other cybercrimes, or the estimated $ 3 million earned by CryptoLocker scammers over nine months, 2013-14.
However, even this modest performance demonstrates the ability of ransomware to generate profits and its devastating impact on its victims.
"Some fear they will be expelled from school or fired by their employers if they do not retrieve their records," said Nart Villeneuve, chief fire analyst at FireEye.
"Fathers and mothers feel devastated when they lose family members photos. Το ransomware TeslaCrypt έχει χτυπήσει ακόμη και μη κερδοσκοπικούς οργανισμούς, όπως οργανώσεις αφιερωμένες στην θεραπεία του καρκίνου του bloodas well as many other small businesses. Many of the victims of the malware were unable to afford to pay the ransom.”
Ransomware scams have been going on for years, and while CryptoLocker was a pioneer in this field, TeslaCrypt has innovated a lot by creating a complete "Technical Support" network.
"Criminals are presented as 'customer support' to help their victims find Bitcoins to pay the ransom," explains Villeneuve.
Of the 1.231 known victims, 163 paid the ransom. Victims communicate with criminals through an exchange system messages.
"We expect ransomware to continue to grow by criminals in the coming years," concludes Villeneuve.
"The tools are easy to use, and even inexperienced intruders can quickly gain profits from victims who are desperately trying to recover their files and pay the ransom."