If you own an Android device

For Android, there's a new threat to be at least moderately concerned about.  It takes the form of a new ransomware family that spreads from one victim to the next with text messages that contain poisoned links to every contact on an infected device.

The ESET research team had this to say about it

In the report from the ESET team that discovered the fault: "Due to narrow targeting and flaws in both execution of the campaign and implementation of its encryption, the impact of this new ransomware is limited.

If your system is infected, the first thing it will do is raid your contacts list and send SMS text messages to everyone on it.  Anybody who clicks on the link in the SMS message will also be infected.

After sending a flurry of messages, the malware will turn its attention to your device itself. It will then set about the task of encrypting most of the files on your device.  Fortunately, the people behind this new threat prove themselves to be new to the game."

ESET continues

"After the ransomware sends out this batch of malicious SMSes, it encrypts most user files on the device and requests a ransom.  Due to flawed encryption, it is possible to decrypt the affected files without any assistance from the attacker."

All in all, this issue is only of minor concern.  It's annoying, and certainly time-consuming to restore your files. However, it's not an especially dangerous malware strain - yet, and that's the problem.

Our perspective

Whoever is behind this new threat certainly has the right idea, even if they lack the technical chops to pull it off.  Skills, however, can be learned and honed.  As a first try, this effort is disturbing because it's clever.  The moment the people who wrote the code get the technical skills to pair with that cleverness, they're going to be genuinely dangerous.

As Sgt. Phil Esterhaus always advised: "Hey, let's be careful out there!"

Meanwhile, check out this report

This free executive report may give you insights into how to build your business with safe IT environments: 10 Hidden IT Risks That Might Threaten Your Business and 1 Easy Way to Find Them

The author

Thanks for reading this short post. For more tips on thriving with small business technology, check out the other blog posts at DWPia Blogs. I am also available on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Cybersecurity Expert, Small Business Technology Consultant, Managed Services Provider, Managed IT SupportI am Denis Wilson, President and Principal Consultant for DWP Information Architects. I help professionals grow their business by building a foundation of rock-solid information solutions for smaller healthcare, insurance, financial, legal, and nonprofits firms in Ventura County and San Fernando Valley. And have created cost-effective IT solutions, for over 20 years, specializing in cybersecurity and regulatory compliance. I am also a published author and speaker, working extensively with a variety of organizations, as well as providing small business technology education programs through business and professional associations. This just in: I will be speaking regularly at California Lutheran University's Center for Nonprofit Leadership starting in September.

Contact me if you would like me to speak at your association.