Cyber Risks · Unit 42 Palo Alto Networks

Threat Assessment: EKANS Ransomware

Summary: Unit 42 researchers observed EKANS ransomware activity affecting multiple industries in the U.S. and Europe, with the malware first seen in January 2020. Written in Golang, EKANS carries a static kill list that stops antivirus and Industrial Control Systems processes, deletes shadow copies, encrypts network-connected resources, and renames files with five random characters rather than a uniform extension.

What you should know: EKANS specifically targets ICS processes and has hit energy, healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing firms, so an asset owner whose recovery plan depends on shadow copies should note that EKANS deletes them before encrypting.

Read the original at Unit 42 Palo Alto Networks ↗

Topics
OT / ICS & Critical Infrastructure
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