A new report analyzed Cryptowall 3.0 ransomware attacks and found that it may have cost victims $325 million and that money may be going to a single source.
Kevin Haley, a director for Symantec Security Response, said that Symantec strongly recommends against paying, but admits that not paying could cause "irreparable damage."
"Cryptowall is one of the most lucrative pieces of ransomware currently in existence. Once on a machine, it encrypts the victim's files and subsequently demands payment in return for a key to decrypt them," Haley said. "As with other types of ransomware, Cyrptowall targets sensitive files on the machine, including financial records, business information, databases and personal/sentimental content like photos and tax documents."
