When the GandCrab ransomware grew in popularity among cybercriminals back in January 2018, cybersecurity firm Bitdefender released the first decryption tool to help victims take back their digital lives and now the firm has released an updated version of its tool.
The company's collaboration with the Romanian Police, Europol and other law enforcement agencies has produced a new decryptor for all GandCrab ransomware versions released since October 2018.
Users that have been affected by versions 1,4 and up through 5.1 of GandCrab can download and use Bitdefender's new tool to regain access to their sensitive data and other files.
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So far, more than 2,000 home users, companies and non-profits have utilized the company's tool to retrieve their lost data and avoid paying millions in ransom.
Growth of GandCrab
Since it first emerged, the GandCrab ransomware has inflicted hundreds of millions of dollars in losses globally and it is now one of the most prevalent families of ransomware on the market.
Last year for instance, GandCrab affiliates began using Remote Desktop Protocol instances to attack organizations by directly logging in with stolen domain credentials. After authenticating on a compromised PC, attackers then manually run the ransomware and instruct it to spread across the entire network. Once the network has been infected, attackers wipe their traces clean and contact the victim with a decryption offer.
GandCrab operators have also recently begun to deliver ransomware to organizations via vulnerabilities in remote IT support software used by MSPs to manage custom workstations.
To prevent falling victim to GandCrab and other forms of ransomware, Bitdefender recommends making sure that you are running the latest version of your OS as well as third-party software. The firm also suggests installing a security solution as any software purchase will be cheaper than making a ransom payment.
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