A ransomware dubbed ShurL0ckr ransomware was able to evade detection by a majority of anti-virus engines and cloud applications.
Cloud services is being integrated by organizations to increase productivity. The steady rise of its use is now a target of hackers and malware developers and is deemed as the next big target for malware distribution and stealing data from its users.
Cloud access security broker Bitglass has identified a new ransomware that is able to elude detection from a majority of antiviruses and cloud applications including Google Drive and Microsoft Office 365.
With the help of data protection company Cylance, they were able to identify a new variant of the Gojdue ransomware dubbed ShurL0ckr. This ransomware-as-a-service operates in a similar way to the popular Satan ransomware and the hackers who deploy it pay a percentage of the funds it collects from victims to its author after creating and distributing a ransomware payload that encrypts users’ files.
During their research, they found out that Microsoft Office 365 and Google Drive were both unable to detect ShurL0ckr. Among 67 of the top malware engines, about 7% of the antivirus engines were able to detect the new variant.
VP of Product Management at Bitglass, Mike Schuricht highlighted how hackers have turned to cloud applications as a new means of distributing malware, saying:
“Malware will always be a threat to the enterprise and cloud applications are an increasingly attractive distribution mechanism. Most cloud providers do not provide any malware protection and those that do struggle to detect zero-day threats. Only an AI-based solution that evolves to detect new malware and ransomware can keep cloud data secure.”
It has always been a cat and mouse chase to ensure users are safe from threats and hackers. However, they always find a way to elude detection and distribute malware and ransomware thus making them a step smarter always. This discovery makes it a lot easier for security firms and providers to protect clients and customers from being hit by this.
