Data-encrypting ransomware is one of the biggest IT threats of our time: if you want to get your documents back and reuse your infected system, you have to pay. A curious new ransomware group has now emerged in India that seems uninterested in wealth: “Goodwill” requires three good deeds documented on video before the encrypted data is released again.
At first glance, the malware from the extortion group “Goodwill” discovered by the IT security company CloudSEK is a ransomware Trojan following the usual pattern: when it infects a system, all data is encrypted. The victim will then see an extortion message on the display.
Good deeds count instead of money
Where other ransomware groups – many of which are believed to be in Russia, see video – demand bitcoins, “Goodwill” deviates from the usual pattern. To get the key to the data, you need to do three good deeds and provide video evidence. In particular, it is required that:
- Garment is donated to homeless people.
- five children from poor backgrounds are fed.
- money is donated in a hospital to treat poor patients.
According to a Business Insider report, the video evidence should be delivered as a social media post. Also, victims should post “How I became a nice person by falling victim to ransomware called Goodwill.”
After three good deeds there is the key
If all conditions are met, the creators of the ransomware contact their victim. They provide video instructions and the necessary keys to recover the data.
The initiators of the ransomware are said to live in India: The CloudSEK researchers traced the email address mentioned in the blackmail message to the network of an Indian IT service provider.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
