Locky is one of the most prolific types of ransomware out there.
Joining the likes of WannaCry and Petya, Locky comes in many different flavors, including Diablo6, Zepto, Thor, and Osiris, and does not seem to be slowing down.
Some of the most famous cases linked to Locky are attacks on core services, including US hospitals.
In February 2016, Locky was used to disrupt the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, which declared an "internal emergency" as systems, databases, and critical information were encrypted and staff members were locked out.
Hospitals rely on electronic records to look after their patients properly and schedule everything from appointments to operations, and faced with a long backup process and catastrophic disruption, the hospital gave in and paid $17,000 in Bitcoin for a decryption key.
Locky has also been linked to a ransomware campaign in August this year in which as many as 23 million phishing emails were sent in only 24 hours.
Charlie Osborne
By Charlie Osborne
