The new SpriteCoin ransomware (also known as MoneroPay) leverages a novel social engineering technique – posing as a new cryptocurrency called SpriteCoin. It packs a one-two punch as well, combining a cryptolocker and password stealer in a single application. The link to the SpriteCoin homepage was published on the bitcointalk.org forum and spread among users interested in new cryptocurrencies. The topic was removed when its malicious nature was revealed, but let’s take a look at the details.

The Rapid ransomware variant began attacking victims at the end of December 2017, according to the ID ransomware service Malwarehunterteam. This ransomware strain is interesting and unique because it keeps running even after encryption is completed, and continues encrypting files once they are created. Our team analyzed a new sample that was compiled a week ago.

Given the explosion of ransomware – malicious code that infects your computer and denies you access unless you pay a ransom – Acronis is doing all it can to combat it and protect the data of businesses and home users. That’s why we’re excited to launch a free version of our anti-ransomware software today. Acronis Ransomware Protection, is a free, standalone version of our unique, artificial intelligence-based anti-ransomware technology, which stops ransomware attacks in real-time and helps users to recover data without paying the ransom.

In a January 2018 survey polling members of the internet population on topics including how they protect their valuable files, if they know about ransomware, and what factors influence their software purchases, nearly half of the population (46.4 percent) reported that they were not aware of ransomware as a threat. It proves once again that to combat the threat, we must ramp up awareness and spread the word.