RaaS (Ransomware as a Service) is the latest virus that infects various machines whenever users click the malicious file, which proceeds to download without letting the users know. The file then asks its victims to pay from $300 to $500 for the decryption key in order to get access back to their files. According to a report by the Cyber Threat Alliance, ‘one of the most sophisticated ransomware strains has brought in $325 million in profits for groups deploying it’.

Because RaaS is very easy to use and doesn’t require its users to have any cyber knowledge, the virus can be spread very quickly.  “These agents simply download the virus either for free or a nominal fee, set a ransom and payment deadline, and attempt to trick someone into infecting his or her computer. If the victim pays up, the original author gets a cut — around 5% to 20% — and the rest goes to the "script kiddie" who deployed the attack,” according to a recent article by Business Insider.

 Encryptor RaaS says that all of the users who set the ransom would get 95% of the total payment, but so far, only one user has been paid. The virus’ announcement advises users to not share their bitcoin address as the service uses the bitcoin address to identify different users.  “While a major ransomware operation called Reveton may have used a referral program to encourage sites — often porn sites — to help spread the virus to their visitors starting in 2012, the earliest ransomware provided freely in exchange for a cut of the ransoms seems to have been Tox, which surfaced in May,” according to Business Insider.

Created by a teen hacker, Tox virus also managed to get very popular when it first launched. In an interview with Business Insider, Tox’s creator admitted that he was happy with his virus’ profits in a short period of time, but after the virus began to attract a lot of attention from the media, he decided to shut the virus down and sell the service for $5,000.

Among other RaaS authors is Jeiphoos, who said for Business Insider that his Encryptor RaaS, which launched in July, had failed to make any profit even though there have been over 300 infected devices. “The millions reportedly earned by large ransomware operations, the short-lived success of Tox, and the variety of RaaS attacks available suggest that there is or will be profit for RaaS authors and the users that deploy them. But, as Jeiphoos learned, any certainty of profit is hard to come by,” Dan Turkel wrote.

(Image source: brainstormseoservices.com )