Cat-themed Ransomware Targeting Android Users

Following the news that a Cat-themed ransomware is targeting Android users, Troy Gill, manager of security research at AppRiver, commented below.

Troy Gill, Manager of Security Research at AppRiver:

“It’s not surprising at all to see a next step in the evolution of Ransomware. Ransomware has proven an effective business model and this approach will most certainly be embraced as a “new” method for revenue generation. On the bright side, people are more likely to have a recent backup of their mobile device since they are often scheduled to be backed up automatically. This should help reduce the effectiveness of this attack to an extent. But just like PC Ransomware, those who are not maintaining robust back-ups will find themselves in a precarious position should they suffer an infection like “El Gato”. The best defence is still keeping a regular offline back up.”