For some cybercriminals, ‘junk’ ransomware does the job
IT Brew
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Contributed by: Drex DeFord
Summary
A report from cybersecurity firm Sophos highlights a surge in low-cost, basic ransomware, termed as 'junk-gun ransomware,' making it both accessible for aspiring cybercriminals and challenging for cybersecurity defenses. From June 2023 to February 2024, Sophos identified 19 types of such ransomware, which were inexpensive and simply constructed, some even lacking advanced features. This trend not only lowers the entry barrier for attackers, with some ransomware being available for free or at minimal cost, but also poses detection and monitoring challenges for cybersecurity professionals, due to the small number and low cost of these malicious software versions. Moreover, these rudimentary ransomware varieties evade the traditional Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) models' commission structures, indicating a shift in the cybercrime marketplace.
