Linux Ransomware Debut Fails on Predictable Encryption Key

Encryption is hard to do correctly. Even for ransom-ware developers.

Thankfully, in this case, it also gave a way for some smart people who understand encryption to fix a potentially serious problem.

Ransom-ware seems to be the current big growth area. It's probably due to the fact that simple breaches don't really give much financial payback on the investment - active credit card details raise only a few cents as they are disabled so quickly by anti-fraud mechanisms, so are unlikely to actually yield much, except in a few 'lucky' [to the bad guys] cases.

Real systems security (not just the traditional technical measures people have relied upon till now, but process, business activity etc.) looks like the way forward. But there are going to be a few casualties along the way, especially if the FBI suggest people should pay up[1].

[1] http://thehackernews.com/2015/10/fbi-ransomware-malware.html