Every criminal activity is linked to some economic incentive and the world of cybercrimes is no different. Majority of the cybercriminal activities are underpinned by some sort of financial motive.
Ransomware, a leading cybersecurity threat of our times, revolve around obtaining money to restore the locked down files of the victim. But as we know, innovation is a tool of survival in the modern world. While security experts are honing their ransomware removal skills, cybercriminals have come with another financial aspect of this cryptovirological weapon.
Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS)
It is important to note that a malware is just like any other computer code written by developers. It is the use of a computer code that makes it malevolent. Ransomware is also a cryptographic code, which is written to lock down the files. To write a complex ransomware code, cybercriminal must have very good knowledge of computer language and code writing.
In many instances, it’s not possible for a single cybercriminal to write a cryptographic code and then launch the attack. Hence, it created a need for a guy who can write complex cryptovirological code and rent or sell them. A ransomware can be based on a simple cryptographic algorithm. However, it will easily be neutralized with a standard ransomware removal activity.
How Does it Work?
Even though RaaS activity can be customized in many different ways, but there is a general template that is followed in most of the cases. In a standard RaaS activity, three different types of cybercriminals are involved: coder, attacker, and service provider.
Coder: He is responsible to write a cryptographic code that can withstand ransomware removal activities.
Attacker: The person who is responsible to infiltrate a system with the code and to deal with the victims on ransom money.
Service provider: He plays a role of broker between the attacker and the coder. They sometimes also provide the facility of a dashboard that can be used to monitor the real-time activity of the attack.
Cybercriminals usually use the dark web to communicate with each other and to make their RaaS activity a success.
