Ransomware, it would seem, has grown to a big enough problem that it is forcing international policing bodies to collude with security vendors.
Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, the National High Tech Crime Unit of the Dutch National Police, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab today announced a new public outreach initiative called “No More Ransom,” in order to fight the prevalence of the malware.
The non-commercial online portal is aimed at educating the public about this type of cyberattack, which has grown in double digits since emerging only a couple of years ago.
It is also meant as a resource to help victims retrieve their encrypted data without having to pay the criminals.
“By sending your money to cybercriminals you’ll only confirm that ransomware works, and there’s no guarantee you’ll get the encryption key you need in return,” the website tells the public. “It is sometimes possible to help infected users to regain access to their encrypted files or locked systems, without having to pay.”
The website features a list of tools, some of which were created by Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab, which are able to decrypt files. These include CoinVault, RannohDecryptor, RakhniDecryptor, and ShadeDecryptor.
Nevertheless, the website advises victims that they must remove the malware with an antivirus prior to decrypting their files. It also states that not every type of ransomware has a solution.
“This initiative shows the value of public-private cooperation in taking serious action in the fight against cybercrime,” Raj Samani, chief technology officer of EMEA for Intel Security said in a statement. “This collaboration goes beyond intelligence sharing, consumer education, and takedowns to actually help repair the damage inflicted upon victims.”