The Public Ministry turns out to be a large-scale research into ransomware in the Netherlands. Although a spokesman nothing want to say about the status of the research, are already the first results. Last weekend was still a teenager arrested.
A spokesman of the TO confirm opposite Tweakers that the name of the teenager who has been arrested in a large-scale investigation of ransomware emerged. After further investigation, it was decided to proceed to the arrest. It wanted no other details about the survey and the current business release. The Public Prosecutor’s office focuses its research in each case, on the Netherlands, but would not elaborate on the question of whether this research is also internationally oriented.
The arrest follows after his own research and is not a consequence of the received tips in a other ransomware-case Detection has been Requested treated. The tv program gave attention to the matter, because there is an audio clip of supposedly a Dutch man who is a ransomware-warning pronunciation. Then came forty tips within.
Ransomware makes a user’s computer unusable and tries a user to get he or she pays for the computer to be able to use. Some of the ransomware poses as a communication from a governmental authority, a collecting society or the police.
Ransomware seems to be for cyber criminals a lucrative business. Internationally there are several gangs active involvement. At the beginning of this year rolled Interpol have an international gang that in thirty countries with ransomware. At the end of last year estimated the Team High Tech Crime in the Netherlands one in five victims actually proceed to the payment of the ‘ransom’.