vxCrypter Ransomware Improves PC Performance Before Encrypting Files

We recently told you about the highly dangerous Lockergoga Virus, which caused Havoc in the industrial complexes. Well, there is a new malware called vxCrypter ransomware in the digital space and it will encrypt your files along and ‘improve’ your PC’s performance.

Vccrypter is based on an unfinished, old ransomware called vxLock that utilized Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Rivest-Shamir-Adleman or RSA algorithm to encrypt files.

How does VxCrypter Ransomware work?

The VxCrypter keeps track of the SHA-256 of every file. An SHA-256 is an algorithm that changes data into a fixed fingerprint. Every file has a unique SHA-256 fingerprint, so a file’s copy will have the same SHA-256 code.

VxCrypter Ransomware deletes files with an identical SHA-256 code, essentially clearing up space on your PC and improving performance. It does so to increase encryption speed.

So while the affected users will think of the performance increase as something beneficial in the background, the ransomware will encrypt all the files in the system even faster. Some of the most common file extensions targeted by the ransomware include .txt, .docx, .xls, .ppt, .zip, .xml, .wmv etc.

vxcrypter ransom note — Image: Bleeping Computer

The Damage Assesment

According to a recent report, ransomware attacks have become more frequent and destructive in recent years. Almost 70% of the ransomware attacks last year targeted small business owners, claims Beazley Breach Response Services.

Very recently, the capital city of Albany in New York was hit by a ransomware attack. In a usual extortionist way, hackers demanded a huge ransom to decrypt their data files, which hindered the city’s ability to grant marriage, birth, and death certificates.

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, ransomware attacks will amount to a loss of $11.5 billion dollars in 2019. Thus, the right time to improve our online security infrastructure is right now.