This year, news of ransomware attacks have been coming in like dispatches from a battlefield \u2014 nonstop. Every day, researchers find new strains of ransomware and discover new and unconventional ways criminals use it to steal money directly from consumers and businesses. And as soon as security experts make some progress, the crooks come up with new ransomware approaches and techniques.<\/p>\n
Recently, another sophisticated sample of a ransomware was discovered. The malware is dubbed Satana (\u201cSatan\u201d), which might imply Russian-speaking origins. The Trojan does two things: It encrypts files and corrupts Windows\u2019 Master Boot Record (MBR), thus blocking the Windows boot process.<\/p>\n
We have already discussed Trojans that mess with the MBR \u2014 the notorious Petya ransomware<\/a> is one such malware. In some ways, Satana behaves similarly, for example injecting its own code into the MBR. However, whereas Petya encrypts the Master File Table (MFT), Satana encrypts the MBR. To encrypt PC files, Petya relied on the help of a tagalong Trojan called Mischa<\/a>; Satana manages both tasks on its own.<\/p>\n #Petya<\/a> #ransomware<\/a> eats your hard drives \u2013 https:\/\/t.co\/BSqbmRBmGf<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/WpvijrPlSP<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kaspersky (@kaspersky) March 30, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n