Ransomware is a malicious piece of software which locks access to a device, seeking a certain amount of ransom in order to unlock it. Russians authorities have now arrested two hackers who have been behind numerous ransomware attacks targeted at Apple devices.
Ransomware is similar to ‘hijacking’ a device. The screen of the affected device usually shows a message from the hacker, asking for a certain amount of money in order to unlock the device. The two hackers arrested by the Russian cyber-crime authorities have been behind an elaborate scheme which targeted a huge number of Apple devices with ransomware.
According to the details revealed by the Russian Interior Ministry, these hackers made use of the ‘Find My iPhone’ feature to gain access to targeted Apple devices and then lock them. In doing so, they used two methods. “The first involved gaining access to the victim’s Apple ID by means of the creation of phishing pages, (gaining) unauthorized access to email or using methods of social engineering. The second scheme was aimed at attaching other people’s devices to a prearranged account” the statement from Ministry said.
The arrests are quite possibly linked to a recent spate of ransomware attacks by a hacker nicknamed ‘Oleg Pliss.’ The attacks required the victims to deposit a $100 sum to a PayPal account in order to have the device unlocked. Russian authorities say that given the charges against them, the two hackers may go to jail for up to two years if found guilty.
Courtesy: Apple Insider
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