Fs0ci3ty Ransomware

Posted: October 5, 2016

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	8/10
Infected PCs:	23

First Seen:	October 5, 2016
Last Seen:	February 15, 2020
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Fs0ci3ty Ransomware is a spin-off of the FSociety Ransomware , a piece of a file encryption threat inspired by the Mr. Robot TV series. The Fs0ci3ty Ransomware claims to be the 'real Fsociety,' but there's no way to confirm whether the authors of both FSociety variants are the same. The new version dubbed the Fs0ci3ty Ransomware uses the '.realfs0ciety@sigaint.org.fs0ciety' to mark the encrypted files. Apart from the new e-mail address and file extension, the Fs0ci3ty Ransomware also stores its ransom note in a new file named 'the Fs0ci3ty.html.' The ransom note contains the basic information seen in almost every ransomware's ransom note – the amount of the ransom fee, payment instructions, and promises that the victim's data will be decrypted as soon as the ransom fee is paid.

Paying the money that the Fs0ci3ty Ransomware's operators ask for can turn out to be very costly because they demand 1.5 BTC in exchange for decryption instructions and tools. The authors of the Fs0ci3ty Ransomware also warn victims that failing to pay the ransom fee in time will increase it by 1 BTC for each day passed (e.g. not paying the ransom fee in a week will increase it to 8.5 BTC). Using BTC's exchange rate as of October 5, 1.5 BTC is approximate $1,000, and paying such staggering amounts of money to anonymous con artists is certainly not a good idea. In fact, anti-malware experts advise victims of ransomware never to send the money that their attackers ask for. Don't forget that you have no guarantee that you'll get your files back once you send the money.

Infections with the Fs0ci3ty Ransomware may occur when users launch a corrupted file that has been disguised as a legitimate document, image or another reliable file. Often, crypto threats like the Fs0ci3ty Ransomware may be distributed via e-mail spam, pirated software or other dubious methods. This is why cyber security experts advise users to be extra careful while reviewing incoming messages from unknown senders, especially if they urge them to download an attached file. Naturally, users also should make sure to keep their computers secured with a reputable anti-malware software suite that features the necessary active and passive protection modules to end off threats. Unfortunately, users whose files have been locked by the Fs0ci3ty Ransomware may not be able to rely on 3rd-party utilities to help them restore their data. Only victims who have a recent backup of their data may be able to restore their original, unencrypted file versions.

Fs0ci3ty Ransomware

Threat Metric

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