No More Ransom project has prevented ransomware profits of at least $108 million
.jpg)
On the three-year anniversary of the No More Ransom project, Europol announced today that users who downloaded and decrypted files using free tools made available through the No More Ransom portal have prevented ransomware gangs from making profits estimated at at least $108 million.
Just the free decryption tools for the GandCrab ransomware alone offered on the No More Ransom website have prevented ransom payments of nearly $50 million alone, Europol said.
The project, which launched in July 2016, now hosts 82 tools that can be used to decrypt 109 different types of ransomware.
Most of these have been created and shared by antivirus makers like Emsisoft, Avast, and Bitdefender, and others; national police agencies; CERTs; or online communities like Bleeping Computer.
By far the most proficient member has been antivirus maker Emsisoft, which released 32 decryption tools for 32 different ransomware strains.
"We're pretty proud of releasing the decryptor for MegaLocker, as not only did it help thousands of victims, but it really riled up the malware author," Michael Gillespie, a researcher at Emsisoft, told ZDNet.
"We also have a couple of decryption tools in the pipeline for strains that have claimed a huge number of victims and, in one of those cases, we'll be doing the decryption in a way that's never been done before," Gillespie said.
All in all, Europol said that more than three million users visited the site and more than 200,000 users downloaded tools from the No More Ransom portal since its launch.
Site visitors came from 188 countries all over the world, showing that despite the project starting in Europe, its reach is now global.
Per statistics Europol shared today, most of the site's visitors came from South Korea, the US, the Netherlands, Russia, and Brazil.
No More Ransom started out with three founding partners -- Dutch Police, Kaspersky, and McAfee -- but now has more than 150 partners across the world.
The only oddity in No More Ransom's make-up is the lack of any US-based law enforcement agency. Other than that, everyone else is represented.
Partners come from all fields of activity, ranging from law enforcement to public organizations, and privately-held companies.
"We've always had a good working relationship with European LEAs [law enforcement agencies] and sharing data with them has always been very straightforward," Fabian Wosar, CTO at Emsisoft, told ZDNet.
"Europol doesn't request that we create specific decryption tools, we simply provide them with access to the tools we've created," Wosar added. "We have, however, been asked to provide custom decryption solutions for a number of companies."
However, an Emsisoft spokesperson told ZDNet that the $108 million estimates that Europol shared today is "actually a huge underestimate."
"They're based on the number of successful decryptions confirmed by telemetry - in other words, when the tools phone home to confirm they've done their job," Emsisoft told ZDNet.
"None of our tools phone home. They've been downloaded more 1.6 million times, so it'd be more accurate to say they've helped folk avoid north of $800 million in ransom demands."
In addition, decryption tools provided by Bleeping Computer also don't phone home, which means victims saved even more money, and crooks lost more.
source zdnet
Industry: Cyber Security

Latest Jobs
-
- Network Security Engineer
- Germany
- €550 a day
-
German- based contract opportunity This is an onsite based position, we would need the Network Security engineer to be able to work on the client site 5 days a week Seeking an experienced Network Security Engineer for a leading technology company. Strong expertise in firewall/IPS solutions, proxy solutions, and certificate management is required. Good hands-on experience in networking and web-related technologies necessary. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work under pressure are essential. we are looking for a Network Security Engineer with the following experience: · Expertise in Administration, Management & Troubleshooting of Firewall / IPS solutions / Proxy solutions/Certificate Management Solutions · Good Hands-on Experience on security devices (PaloAlto/ /McAfee Proxy/CISCO ISE/Certificate Management) · Good Hands-on Experience in Networking with skills of switching, routing & wireless Technologies · Familiarity with web related technologies (Web applications, Web Services, Service Oriented Architectures) and of network/web related protocol · Configuration of NAT / PAT, firewall policies, profiling, objects, AD-Integration, backup – restore · Knowledge of Subnetting TCP/IP Communication, VLSM Configuration of VLAN VTP · Configuration of Routing Protocols e.g. RIPv1 & v2, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP Knowledge of standard and extended ACL 12 month contract
-
- IAM Consultant
- N/A
- Upto £110,000 depending on level of position
-
Identity Access Management (IAM) Consultant Location: Germany We are seeking an experienced IAM consultants in Germany. we are looking for people from consultant through to Architect, The ideal candidate will have previous IAM deployment experience and be fluent in German. Key responsibilities: Design and implement IAM solutions for clients Provide expertise on industry best practices and standards Troubleshoot and resolve IAM-related issues Work closely with clients to understand their business requirements and provide solutions to meet those needs Qualifications: Previous deployment experience with IAM solutions Fluency in German Strong understanding of IAM technologies and principles Excellent communication and project management skills If you are an experienced IAM consultant with a strong track record of delivering successful projects, please apply today.
-
- ForgeRock Consultant
- Spain
- Upto €85000 plus benefits
-
ForgeRock deployment consultant is needed for this expanding IT Services business within Spain, to act as their ForgeRock technical lead, Responsibilities include: High level and low level design, Scoping the techical needs of the project design, configure, develop and test the forgeRock deployment. We are looking for a strong IAM consultant ideally with ForgeRock experience, Must have strong Oauth 2.0, SAML and API experience
-
- IAM Consultant
- France
- Upto €85000 plus benefits
-
An Identity & Access Management Consultant is needed for an expanding IT Security consultancy, based in France. (Remote role with monthly office meet-ups) The Identity & Access Management Consultant will be responsible for the technical design and implementation of Identity & Access Management/IAM products for a wide variety of clients. Deliver bespoke end-to-end consultancy service to our clients, from gathering requirements through to implementation. Work in a close team designing, developing, and implementing first-class IAM solutions. Manage client relationships, working closely with key stakeholders to continually evaluate business requirements and ensure the highest quality solution delivery. If you are interested we are looking for an individual with Previous experience working within the IAM or CIAM field is essential, Strong knowledge with SAML and Oauth and ideally OpenID Previous experience from any of these technologies: One Identity, SailPoint, Saviynt, Ubisecure, Ping Identity, would be advantageous