Mortal Kombat is the news ransomware that is on the prowl and Cisco Talos says the new ransomware can wipe off data of the victim, if they fail to pay the demanded ransom on time.
Security firm of Cisco says the malware also can steal cryptocurrency, thanks to its add-on of Laplas, that has the ability to replace the crypto address on the Windows Clipboard and substitute it with the one dictated by the threat actor.
MortalKombat belongs to the Xorist Commodity Ransomware family, a malware that has been existing on the internet since 2016.
Mainly Talos researchers say that the attackers are focusing more on healthcare organizations based in the United States and were also seen hitting firms operating in Turkey, Philippines and the UK.
NOTE 1- Every month about 13-16 ransomware variants is developed by cyber crooks and are released into the wild. However, only 1 makes it to the top of the list as those developing or spreading it achieve immense success by earning over $10 million or much!
NOTE 2- FBI has already released a press update in 2019 by urging victims not to pay any ransom to hackers. As it not only encourages crime but also doesn’t guaranty a decryption key for sure. Additionally, there is a high probability that the criminals will attack the victim twice or thrice in the same year.
NOTE 3- Automation driven threat monitoring solutions play a vital role in securing networks from malware attacks. Keeping the software updated, fixing vulnerabilities on time, training staff on threats lurking in the present cyber landscape helps in keeping file encrypting malware attacks at bay.
