Zero-Days Warning! Ransomware Target Microsoft ffice

If just relying on the security tools of Microsoft Office 365 can protect you from cyber attacks, you are wrong.

Variants of Cerber Ransomware are now targeting MS Office 365 email users with a massive zero-day attack that has the ability to bypass Office 365's built-in security tools.

According to a report published by cloud security provider Avanan, the massive zero-day Cerber ransomware attack targeted Microsoft Office 365 users with spam or phishing emails carrying malicious file attachments.
The Cerber ransomware is invoked via Macros. Yes, it's hard to believe but even in 2016, a single MS Office document could compromise your system by enabling 'Macros'.

Locky and Dridex ransomware malware also made use of the malicious Macros to hijack systems. Over $22 Million were pilfered from the UK banks with the Dridex Malware that got triggered via a nasty macro virus.

You can see a screenshot of the malicious document in the latest malware campaign below, targeting Microsoft Office 365 users:

While the security firm did not indicate the precise number of clients conceivably hit by the ransomware, Microsoft reported in its first quarter 2016 that there are very nearly 18.2 Million Office 365 endorsers. 

"While hard to exactly gauge what number of clients got tainted," Avanan assessed that "about 57 percent of associations utilizing Office 365 got no less than one duplicate of the malware into one of their corporate letter boxes amid the season of the assault." 

In spite of the fact that Cerber initially developed in March, the malware crusade focusing on Office 365 clients started on June 22. Be that as it may, Microsoft began hindering the malignant document connection on June 23. 


The Cerber Ransomware not just encodes client documents and shows a payment note, additionally assumes control over the client's sound framework to peruse out its payment note illuminating them that their records were scrambled.

The ransomware encrypts files with AES-256 encryption, asking victims to pay 1.24 Bitcoin (nearly US$810) for the decryption key.

How to Protect Yourself from Cerber Ransomware

In order to prevent yourself from the Cerber or any ransomware attack:

• Always keep your system and antivirus up-to-date.
• Regularly backup your files in an external hard-drive.
• Disable Macros in your MS Office programs.
• Always beware of phishing emails, spams, and clicking the malicious attachment.
• You can also use an Intrusion detection system (IDS), for which you can try AlienVault Unified Security Management (USM) that includes an inbuilt IDS with SIEM and real-time threat intelligence to help you quickly detect malware and other threats in your network.

We have also written a step-by-step tutorial article on How to Protect your Computer fromMacro-based Malware, which you can follow to secure yourself.

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Aone Abu Ukaasha

Hi. I’m Designer of F@stest Vpn. I’m CEO/Founder of Technocrat. I’m a Programmer, Web Designer,Engineer,System Analyst,Crypt Networking Admin,Web Developer, Business Enthusiast,Networking Marketer,Apps Developer." No answer has ever been made without a querry"

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