From clothes to food – we practically buy everything on the internet these days. That includes ransomware as well. And now available for purchase on hacking forums everywhere: an easily downloadable ransomware app. You heard correctly, all a cybercriminal has to do is download the Trojan Development Kit (TDK) app on an Android phone, fill out a few forms, and they have their own customized ransomware.
Since this ransomware development kit that doesn’t require any coding skills, almost anyone can keep this attack in their back pocket. Not to mention, the app, which is easily downloadable from hacking discussion boards, allows for the creation of malware by following simple instructions, with a variety of customization options available to the cybercriminal.
These customizable options include the message that’s displayed on the infected device’s lock screen, the key used to unlock the device, the icon used by the malware, the mathematical operations to randomize the code, and the type of animation to be displayed on the infected device. Once the crooks are done with creation, all they have to do is pay a small fee to the app’s creator and then they’re free to distribute the ransomware as they please and make as many variants as they like in future.
This ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) app joins a slew of recent offerings from cybercriminals aiming to make the threat widespread. Therefore, it’s important users are prepared for a potential ransomware attack. Do to just that, ensure your software is always up-to-date, keep your files backed up on an external hard drive, be careful where you click, and no matter what you do – don’t pay the ransom.
And, of course, stay on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats by following me and @McAfee_Home on Twitter, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.
Stay Updated
Follow us to stay updated on all things McAfee and on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats.
