Lockbit is the fastest ransomware

According to The Register , Lockbit malware is capable of encrypting up to 25,000 files in one minute, and this poses a serious threat to businesses.

A group of Splunk experts published the results of a study in which security specialists were able to identify the average speed of data encryption by malware. 

During the experiment, Lockbit, Avaddon, Conti, REvil ransomware and other popular viruses (based on Virus Total) were checked. The speed of work of all experimental subjects varies, but the average value is about 100 thousand files in 43 minutes. But Lockbit turned out to be the fastest: it was able to encrypt more than 25,000 files in just a minute. This speed is justified by the malware’s algorithm – it encrypts only 4 kilobytes of data in one file in order to violate its integrity, and immediately proceeds to the next one. Other viruses encrypt entire files, which logically takes more time.  

With this study, the experts wanted to draw the attention of users and businesses to the dangers of such ransomware viruses. The experts also hope that their findings will help to better understand how malware works and optimize protection against them.