Ransomware attacks rising

Global ransomware attacks soared by over 11 per cent in the 12 months to March, Europol reported, but specialist tools developed with its partners had helped unlock some 28,000 encrypted devices.

“Ransomware has soared since 2012, with criminals lured by the promise of profit and ease of implementation,” the European police agency said in a statement. According to a report by Kaspersky Lab, the “total number of users who encountered ransomware between April 2016 and March 2017 rose by 11.4 per cent compared to the previous 12 months, from 2,315,931 to 2,581,026 users around the world”. Europol and Kaspersky joined forces with the Dutch police and others a year ago to establish the “No More Ransom” initiative, just months before a couple of high-profile cyberattacks made headlines.