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WanaDecrypt0r Ransomware Earns Just $26,000 In Ransom Payments (krebsonsecurity.com)
An anonymous reader quotes Krebs On Security:
As thousands of organizations work to contain and clean up the mess from this week's devastating Wana ransomware attack, the fraudsters responsible for releasing the digital contagion are no doubt counting their earnings and congratulating themselves on a job well done. But according to a review of the Bitcoin addresses hard-coded into Wana, it appears the perpetrators of what's being called the worst ransomware outbreak ever have made little more than USD $26,000 so far from the scam...
It's worth noting that the ransom note Wana popped up on victim screens (see screenshot above) included a "Contact Us" feature that may have been used by some victims to communicate directly with the fraudsters... I find it depressing to think of the massive financial damage likely wrought by this ransom campaign in exchange for such a comparatively small reward.
It's worth noting that the ransom note Wana popped up on victim screens (see screenshot above) included a "Contact Us" feature that may have been used by some victims to communicate directly with the fraudsters... I find it depressing to think of the massive financial damage likely wrought by this ransom campaign in exchange for such a comparatively small reward.
BTC transactions are utterly and completely traceable, that's kind of the point. They are anonymous, though. So what these criminals will do is pay some poor sap to set up a BTC wallet, send the bitcoins to him, let him convert them to currency on his bank account, after which the criminals will simply withdraw the money from an ATM using his card. As long as you have no relationship to the middleman and if he keeps his mouth shut (or better yet: has no clue as to who you are), you're safe. Criminals use this method all the time.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...