Cybersecurity Firm Releases WannaCryFake Bitcoin Ransomware Fix

Cybersecurity firm Emsisoft has released a solution for Bitcoin (BTC)-demanding ransomware WannaCryFake.

Pay Bitcoin in return for your data

In a Sept. 25 blog post, Emsisoft announced that they are releasing a new free fix for the WannaCryFake ransomware bug. The WannaCryFake is the next version of the WannaCry worm, a type of malicious software program that first began spreading across computer networks in May 2017.

When a computer system is infected with the WannaCryFake worm, data is held hostage and a payment in Bitcoin will be requested to decrypt the files and release access to data. Emsisoft explains:

“WannaCryFake is a strain of ransomware that uses AES-256 to encrypt a victim’s files. Files that have been encrypted by WannaCryFake are appended with the file extension: ‘.[<id>][recoverydata54@protonmail.com].WannaCry’ According to the ransomware distributors, the price of decryption depends on how quickly you email them.”

The software company adamantly states that “under no circumstances should you attempt to make contact,” and to not ever pay the ransom. The free decryption tool will puportedly help ransomware victims recover their files without causing permanent data loss.

Ransomware attacks up by 118%

Cointelegraph previously reported that, according to cybersecurity company McAfee Labs, ransomware attacks increased by 118% in the first three months of 2019. The cybersecurity company added that one of these ransomware campaigns used the Ryuk ransomware strain, which even managed to temporarily halt newspaper printing in the United States.