Ransomware is on the rise. There’s been a 35 percent increase in detection rates since 2015. And it’s easy to see why. From a cyber-criminal’s perspective ransomware is the must-have malware. It locks up computer files using high-level encryption and victims can’t get their files back until they have paid the ransom.

Hospitals, police departments, businesses have all fallen victim to this most insidious of threats. There’s little chance of a cyber-criminal being caught while the potential rewards are staggeringly high – millions of pounds sterling and euros.

But ransomware is not only increasing in terms of its penetration but it’s also becoming increasingly sophisticated. PadCrypt ransomware for instance which demands about £500 from its victims also includes a ‘Live Feature’ option which, when clicked, opens up a screen where the victim can speak in real-time with the malware’s developers.

On the other hand ‘7ev3n’ ransomware essentially obliterates computers by disabling system recovery options. You can get your files back but the ransom is hefty – about £3,800.

TeslaCrypt ransomware is spreading through spam emails and using social engineering techniques to lure victims into opening an email. In a sense it is targeting victims rather than relying on scatter gun approach and recently it has mutated into different forms as cyber-thieves tweak its code.

An important thing to note is that ransomware, as illustrated by TeslaCrypt, is increasingly loaded into phishing emails and these emails are often localised, such as from postal service in Germany or a well-known retailer in Sweden.

Source: bull guard.com