According to a recent report, LockBit ransomware was found to be targeting Mac devices, in a first. Cybercriminals have developed new ransomware encryptors designed to target macOS devices, making this the first major ransomware operation to specifically target Apple computers.
- LockBit is a ransomware which was first reported in September 2019 and was dubbed the “abcd” virus, due to the file extension used when encrypting victim’s files.
- The LockBit ransomware is designed to infiltrate victims’ systems and encrypt important files.
- The virus is categorised as a “crypto virus” due to its requests for payment in cryptocurrency to decrypt the files on the victim’s device.
- The ransomware is therefore typically deployed against victims who feel hindered enough by the disruption to pay heavy sums in exchange for access and can afford to do so.
- In the past, LockBit ransomware has been used to target enterprises and organisations in the U.S., China, India, Ukraine, and Indonesia.
- It works as a self-spreading malware, not requiring additional instructions once it has successfully infiltrated a single device with access to an organisational intranet.
- It also known to hide executable encryption files by disguising them in the PNG format, thereby avoiding detection by system defences.
