Trojan Cryzip extorts decryption fee
A Trojan making the rounds encrypts victims' files and demands a US$300 payment to have them decrypted and unlocked, according to a report by security firm Lurhq Threat Intelligence Group.
This so-called "ransomware" Trojan, dubbed Cryzip, is the second of its type to emerge in the past 10 months, following the PGPcoder Trojan. It also is the third such Trojan to appear since 1989.
Lurhq researchers noted on Tuesday that the appearance within a year of two encryption Trojans may indicate they are part an emerging trend in malicious software.
"Last year, we saw the PGPcoder, and anything that shows itself to be a viable way to make money, usually people start jumping on the bandwagon after that," said Joe Stewart, senior security researcher for Lurhq.
