A new ransomware? Why cybercriminals may be giving up on encrypting

ILLUSTRATION - Cybercriminals are changing the way they work, and regular backups are more important than ever. — Photo: Nicolas Armer/dpa

BERLIN: Cybercriminals have been building up their toolbox for attacking individuals and businesses in recent months, and cybersecurity experts say there has been a fundamental change in the way that encryption malware is operating.

Until now, most ransomware (malware designed to hold files hostage until the victim pays to get them back) encrypted the data on a victim’s computer or a company’s network and the cybercriminals then demanded payment to decrypt it.