Hackers abandon ransomware plots and share decryption key

According to Bleeping Computer, the Ragnarok hacking organization has abruptly ceased carrying out ransomware operations and has publicly distributed a key to unlock files that have been encrypted. 

As a result, all victims who presently have encrypted files and have not paid a ransom will be able to restore access to their data. It is currently unknown what caused the hackers to halt their operations.

New companies and other victims are claimed to have been added to the Ragnarok website's victim list up until the end of last week, according to reports. It is likely that these targets have already been affected by ransomware operators and that they are being alerted in this manner. If the ransom is not paid, hackers will use the encrypted material to spread around the internet.

In recent years, the group has made headlines all around the world as a result of a series of large-scale cyber attacks. Capcom, a Portuguese energy company, and other IT businesses were among those targeted by the previously used Ragnar Locker. In the end, terabytes of data were encrypted as a result. In most cases, millions of dollars were demanded in order to remove the encryption.