Locky has been identified as the most frequently detected ransomware family, according to a report by the malware prevention company Malwarebytes.
Here's what you need to know:
1. Locky was released relatively recently, in February 2016; however, on the first day of detection, it had spread to 18 different countries. Today, Malwarebytes has detected it in almost 200 countries.
2. Malwarebytes notes that Locky accounted for 97 percent of spam campaigns sent through email attachments, according to separate security company reports.
3. Although some ransomware families focus on the United States, Locky detections are prevalent throughout the globe; only 20 percent of Locky detections took place in the United States during the research period.
4. Locky is most often spread through Microsoft Word documents, which contain "macro scripts to download the ransomware," according to the report. After download, the ransomware encrypts almost all of a device's files.
5. The price for decryption is usually demanded in digital currency, like Bitcoin.