WASHINGTON (AP) — A new report says an unusual strain of ransomware is leading a new generation of malicious software that hackers use to exploit computer server vulnerabilities.
The report Monday by Cisco Systems Inc.'s Talos security research group describes how virus-like software known as "samsam" works. It worms its way through networks without requiring someone to click a link to open an infected attachment.
This type of attack hit the MedStar Health Inc. hospital chain last month.
Hackers target backup files and records, encrypting them to make them an unreadable gobbledygook of characters. To regain access, users often pay a ransom in the difficult-to-trace digital currency known as bitcoin.