Kaspersky Lab provided technical assistance to investigation

Woburn, MA – February 9, 2018 — /BackupReview.info/ — The Belgian Federal Police is today releasing free decryption keys for the Cryakl ransomware, after working in close cooperation with Kaspersky Lab. The keys were obtained during an ongoing investigation. By sharing the keys with No More Ransom, the Belgian Federal Police becomes a new associate partner of the project – the second law enforcement agency to do so, following the Dutch National Police.

In the last few years, ransomware has eclipsed most other cyber threats, with global campaigns now indiscriminately affecting organizations across multiple industries in both the public and private sectors, as well as consumers. One of the most effective ways to fight ransomware is to prevent it. This is exactly why No More Ransom was launched more than a year ago.

The addition of free decryption keys for the Cryakl ransomware is yet another successful example of how cooperation between law enforcement and internet security companies can lead to great results. When the Belgian Federal Computer Crime Unit (FCCU) discovered that Belgian citizens had been victims of the Cryakl ransomware, it was able to locate a command and control server in one of Belgium’s neighbouring countries. Led by the federal prosecutor’s office, the Belgian authorities seized this and other servers while forensic analysts worked to retrieve the decryption keys. Kaspersky Lab provided technical expertise to the Belgian federal prosecutor and has now added these keys to the No More Ransom portal on behalf of the Belgian Federal Police. This will allow victims to regain access to their encrypted files without having to pay the criminals.

The Belgian authorities have continued with their investigation.

“Our advice in the case of ransomware attacks is: please don’t pay the ransom. A number of cybersecurity experts work worldwide to help the victims, creating new, previously non-existent tools for decryption,” said Jornt van der Wiel, security researcher in the Global Research and Analysis Team at Kaspersky Lab. “Free decryption keys for Cryakl ransomware can be considered as proof of this policy and yet another reminder that there is always a chance of winning in the fight with criminals.”

52 decryption tools available
Since the launch of the No More Ransom portal in July 2016, almost 1.6 million people from more than 180 countries have accessed the website, available in 29 languages with Estonian as the most recent addition.

There are now 52 free decryption tools on www.nomoreransom.org, which can be used to decrypt 84 ransomware families. CryptXXX, CrySIS and Dharma are the most detected infections. More than 35,000 people have managed to retrieve their files for free, which has prevented criminals from profiting more than EUR 10 million.

The number of partners working together on No More Ransom has risen to more than 120, including more than 75 internet security companies and other private partners. The Cypriot and Estonian police forces are the latest law enforcement agencies to join. KPN, Telenor and The College of Professionals in Information and Computing (CPIC) have also joined as new private sector partners.

Find more information and prevention tips on www.nomoreransom.org

About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company that celebrated its 20 year anniversary in 2017. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into next generation security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com

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Media Contact
Jessica Bettencourt
774.451.5142
jessica.bettencourt@kaspersky.com

Source: Kaspersky Lab

 

 

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