While it holds your files hostage, the newly discovered ransomware FireCrypt also directs your computer to perform a poor man’s distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack by continuously connecting to a specifically targeted URL and repeatedly downloading junk content into a temporary folder. The presently targeted URL, which is hardcoded into FireCrypt’s source code, belongs to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. However, it is unlikely that the ransomware is causing the agency’s website much disruption: “The crook would have to infect thousands of victims before launching a DDoS attack large enough to cause any problems to the Authority’s website,” according to a BleepingComputer report on Wednesday.
View full story
ORIGINAL SOURCE: SC Magazine
