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The infamous Anubis ransomware has evolved into a more destructive force. This most recent variant, according to recent research conducted by Cisco Talos, is capable of not only encrypting your data but also destroying it entirely, rendering it impossible to recover. Anubis is a particularly dangerous malware strain, according to cybersecurity experts, because of its dual-action payload.
Encrypt or Destroy – No In-Between
Unlike most ransomware families that hold data hostage, Anubis ransomware takes things to the next level. If the malware fails to encrypt a file for any reason, it wipes it instead—overwriting the content so that even recovery tools can’t restore it. This gives victims two bleak options: pay the ransom or permanently lose their data.
The malware was spotted in the wild being used against multiple targets across various sectors, including education, manufacturing, and technology. Researchers noted that this version is likely still under active development, meaning more aggressive updates could be on the horizon.
How Anubis Ransomware Spreads and Why It’s Hard to Stop
Anubis doesn’t rely on new techniques to enter systems. Instead, it typically uses phishing emails, malicious attachments, and exploited remote services to breach networks. Once inside, it performs lateral movement, identifying critical systems and data stores. What makes it more chilling is that even partial resistance or system errors won’t protect files; they will be deleted outright.
Experts see this shift from mere extortion to cyber sabotage as an indication that attackers may now be motivated by ransom collection. Which is why this makes Anubis particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where uptime and data integrity are critical.
The Bigger Picture: Ransomwares Are Getting More Ruthless
This new and improved Anubis ransomware is just one example of how vicious ransomware actors are becoming. Organizations are no longer able to rely solely on backups or recovery tools, as file destruction is now a component of the strategy.
Cybersecurity professionals are encouraging people to enhance email filtering and consistently update security protocols. For now, the sole defense against Anubis is precaution.
