Govt issues alert for Locky Ransomware targeting computers

The government issued an alert on its website about new malware Locky Ransomware, which is in circulation through over 23 million messages.

Electronics and IT Additional Secretary Ajay Kumar tweeted,''Alert regarding spam spreading Locky ransomware issued today by @IndianCERT."

The ransomware, which spreads through spam mails, scrambles the contents subjects like "please print", "documents", "photo", "Images", "scans" and "pictures".

The system infected by Locky Ransomware is getting locked or encrypted with random numbers with "extension [dot] lukitus or [dot] diablo6", the alert stated.

It has a zip attachments with Visual Basic Scripts (VBS) embedded in a secondary zip file. It is learnt that Ransomware will demand a ransom of half bitcoin, which at present rate is equivalent to over Rs 1.5 lakh.

Earlier, in 2016, CERT-In had issued a detailed alert on the Locky ransomware, when it first appeared.

In August, IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said in the Lok Sabha that, as per reports of CERT-In, a total of 65 incidents involving ransomware were reported between 2014 and 2017 till June.

Many saw a series of cyber attacks involving ransomware WannaCry. Among more than 100 countries that were hit by WannaCry (an advanced ransomware attack), India was the third-worst affected.

OneIndia News