Cybercriminals Robbed Other Crooks but Ordinary People Suffered the Most

Extortion viruses create a lot of problems and cost huge amounts of money to both home users and businesses. This is a form of malicious software that encrypts files on a computer or sometimes locks computers. Victims can only restore access to their data or system if they pay a ransom to criminals.

Distributors of extortion viruses have recently suffered from other similar quick-money-lovers who manipulated the system used by the first group of hackers and stole ransom payments provided by virus victims.

For some of us, this may seem like a small problem – crooks robbed other crooks. But this case did not allow ransomware victims to unblock their encrypted files, as distributors of malicious software did not receive their ransom payments. This case is considered the first of its kind.

How did it happen?

Cybercriminals do not trust VPN and use the Tor browser that they believe provides decent online anonymity. While almost all ransom notes instruct victims to download and install the Tor browser, others only provide links to Tor proxies that translate Tor traffic into normal web traffic.

The latter method is very important for hackers who seek to simplify the payment process for their victims as much as possible. For the average victim, it is much easier to follow the link than download an additional program.

Operators of the Tor proxy service called Onion.top at some point realized that their Tor gateway could be used to change the addresses of cryptocurrency wallets. They scanned their service in search of Bitcoin addresses and secretly substituted them with their own addresses.

Security researchers found that victims and operators of several ransomware strains, including notorious GlobeImposter, Sigma, and other suffered from Onion.top manipulations.

Ransomware authors detected the rogue activity of Onion.top and started to instruct their victims to avoid it and use only Tor browser instead.

As noted above, recent victims, such as, for example, the state of Alabama, are the only losers in this scenario. They paid thousands of dollars in Bitcoins, but did not get their files back as distributors of crypto-viruses did not receive their ransoms.

Views: 132

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

Comment by david james on February 23, 2018 at 5:21pm

  Considering CYBERCRIME is now Job #1 of the NSA, as well as Job #2 for CIA-we can aptly attribute 99% of Cybercrime in the US to them.

Furthermore they are executing 96% of Cybercrimes Worldwide. 

(2/2018)

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Americans You’re Being Squeezed Out!
"Cheeki kea always nice to her you chime in and you're damn right! "
12 hours ago
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Americans You’re Being Squeezed Out!
"Les Prone thanks for your support Dude! "
12 hours ago
Doc Vega posted blog posts
13 hours ago
Doc Vega posted a photo

The inconvenient truth

Trump spells it out!
16 hours ago
Sandy posted a photo
yesterday
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post What Made the Founding Fathers of America so Brilliant?
yesterday
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"Motives of Joe, to shit in the well by showing totally irrelevant proof?"
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"Less, Motives of Wyatt or Joe? What archeologist wouldn't want proof of Jesus as part of his…"
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"Less Prone, Considering Joe Rogan to be the gatekeeper of anything is just short of ridiculous the…"
yesterday
MAC posted a video

Don't Go To Hong Kong Now (Even on Connecting Flights)

Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code laowhy86 for an extra 3 months free at https://Surfshark.deals/laowhy86Article 23 in Hong Kong is real,...
yesterday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's video
Thumbnail

Terrorist Attack on Moscow - Ukraine Committing Suicide? | Larry C. Johnson

"...And I guess I'll just park this you tube here also for something to ponder from last year.…"
yesterday
tjdavis posted photos
Tuesday
Less Prone posted a video

Climate: The Movie (The Cold Truth) NL

Deze nieuwe documentaire van de Britse filmmaker Martin Durkin toont aan dat klimaatalarm een verzonnen doembeeld is zonder enige wetenschappelijke basis. He...
Monday
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"It can be true, but why isn't he offering real evidence? What are his motives?"
Monday
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post Americans You’re Being Squeezed Out!
Monday
cheeki kea favorited Less Prone's blog post Going against the stream of lies and death
Monday
cheeki kea commented on Doc Vega's blog post Americans You’re Being Squeezed Out!
"You're spot on in regards to the the real estate component of this mass migrant mess Doc V and…"
Monday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's video
Thumbnail

Terrorist Attack on Moscow - Ukraine Committing Suicide? | Larry C. Johnson

"This video out 2 days ago but the 4 terrorists already caught and 11 others involved identified…"
Monday
cheeki kea posted a video

Terrorist Attack on Moscow - Ukraine Committing Suicide? | Larry C. Johnson

Larry C. Johnson is a veteran of the CIA and the State Department’s Office of Counter Terrorism. He is the founder and managing partner of BERG Associates, w...
Monday
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"You have a link to a physical evidence concerning the existence of Jesus, see your mail about…"
Monday

© 2024   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted