‘Goodwill’ Ransomware Demands Ransom for Charity
Just when you think you have seen it all! There is a new ransomware strain called GoodWill that demands victims donate to social causes and aid those in need. This Robin Hood like groups’ claim to fame is they are interested in helping the less fortunate, rather than extorting victims for financial motivations.
The demands include donating new clothes and blankets to the homeless, taking any five underprivileged children to Domino’s Pizza, Pizza Hut, or KFC for a meal, and offering financial support to patients who need urgent medical care but cannot afford to do so. They are required to record the activities in the form of screenshots and selfies and post them as evidence on their social media accounts.
The ransomware was first identified by CloudSEK in March of this year, and it encrypts documents, photos, videos, databases, and other important files and encrypts them so the owner cannot access without the decryption key.
Although acts of kindness are a very good thing, these cybercriminals are requesting organizations to post these acts to social media to recover things that should have been better secured in the first place. You must publicly admit to being a victim of ‘Goodwill’ and forced into doing random acts of kindness. Demanding that people move forward with these acts of kindness or else face blackmail arguably does not reflect such good-will.
New strands of ransomware are being introduced non-stop, so your business must stay vigilant on protecting your business and your assets. For help ensuring you are best protected, let 2W Tech have your back. We are a technology service provider specializing in security solutions. Let our IT Consultants conduct a security risk assessment to ensure you are covered from all angles.
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