The release of a final set of encryption keys to Kaspersky Lab's special repository and the arrest of two men believed to be the authors of CoinVault and Bitcryptor all but sounded the death knell for the ransomware.
The additional 14,031 decryption keys will let victims unlock their files without having to pay criminals, according to an Oct. 29 release. Researchers said the malware affected at least 1,500 Window's based machines ransoms demanded in bitcoins. In September, Dutch police arrested two men who are believed to the malware's authors.
“With these arrests, and the fact that the last portion of keys has now been obtained from the server, the case on the CoinVault attacks is now closed,” the firm said in the release.
Kaspersky created the decryption keys with the help of with the National High Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) using databases obtained from CoinVault command and control servers.
