Tech security company McAfee recently released a report stating that there is a significant increase in ransomware attacks this first quarter of 2015. Most of the attacks recorded are those aimed at businesses.

From January to March alone, McAfee noted an increase of attacks that soared up to a whopping 317 percent from the last quarter of 2014. An article in PCMag states that the most recent ransomware attacks seem to have been diverted from Java and Microsoft Silverlight users to those using unpatched Flash software.

Like Us on Facebook

McAfee's threat report alleges several potential cause of the surge, including the increase of mobile device compatibility within Flash files, as well as new modes of exploitation. The tech company also mentioned that users' delay in applying recent patches to their Flash programs make their systems more vulnerable to exploitation.

What exactly is ransomware? Trendmicro defines the term as a type of malware that at best limits the user's utility of the affected system, and at worst outright shuts the users out, completely blocking them from even accessing their system in the first place. This malware also allows hackers to steal data from their victims. Ransomware then forces these users to 'pay a ransom' using various online payment methods before the system can be used again.

Ransomware can be accidentally downloaded by unwitting users whenever they visit compromised websites, which is why it's always prudent practice to ascertain a site's security measures before visiting it. It can also arrive as payload dropped by a completely unrelated malware.

McAfee purports that the recent spike in ransomware attacks are caused by the new CTB-Locker family known as "Teslacrypt". There are also various other new ransomware that pop up at an alarming rate, most of which are quite difficult to detect.

Biztekmojo explains the role of the "Teslacrypt" ransomware thus: "What separates CTB-Locker from the other ransomware is that it has effective techniques in evading antimalware software and has a sort of affiliate program that provides accomplices a percentage of the total ransom payment from the companies."

In spite of all this, Symantec, another computer security company, explains that even Apple Mac users shouldn't be complacent, because there are malware forms that could ovverwrite their firmware and gain root access to their system.

TagsMcAfee, Malware, virus attack, Flash