Anubis Ransomware Destroys Files Even After Payment - 1

Image by Josue Valencia, from Unsplash

Anubis Ransomware Destroys Files Even After Payment

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

A new ransomware group called Anubis is gaining attention for its dangerous double-threat attacks.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Anubis ransomware encrypts and permanently wipes files, making recovery impossible.
  • The group offers flexible affiliate programs for cybercriminals.
  • Anubis spreads through phishing emails and uses privilege escalation.

The Anubis ransomware group differs from standard ransomware by including a file-wiping feature, which makes recovery impossible, even when victims pay the ransom.

“Anubis is an emerging Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operation that combines file encryption with file destruction — a rare dual-threat capability,” researchers at Trend Micro reported.

First spotted in December 2024, when it operated under the Sphinx name. The developers conducted a complete industry-wide attack on healthcare, construction, and engineering sectors across the United States, Canada, Peru, and Australia.

The malware system enters networks through phishing emails, while checking for administrator privileges before proceeding. The malware uses ECIES encryption to lock files, and it also has an optional feature to erase file contents, which results in empty files that cannot be recovered.

The ransom note, titled RESTORE FILES.html , warns victims about data disclosure unless they make a payment. The Anubis logo appears on system wallpapers during attacks, but the modification failed during testing.

Experts say the file-wiping function is especially dangerous. “This destructive tendency adds pressure on victims and raises the stakes of an already damaging attack,” they wrote.

To defend against Anubis, experts recommend backing up data offline, updating software regularly, limiting admin access, and training staff to recognize phishing. Organizations should implement multiple security layers, which include tools that identify suspicious system behavior at an early stage.

Spotify’s Daniel Ek Leads €600 Million Funding Round For Defense Startup Helsing - 2

Photo courtesy of Helsing

Spotify’s Daniel Ek Leads €600 Million Funding Round For Defense Startup Helsing

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Spotify’s founder, Daniel Ek, is leading a €600 million investment round in the German defense startup Helsing. The new investment makes Helsing one of the most valuable startups in Europe.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Daniel Ek is leading a €600 million funding round in Helsing, a German defense AI startup.
  • Helsing has now raised €1.37 billion and is valued at €12 billion.
  • The defense startup expects to shift from AI software to producing drones, submarines, and aircraft.

According to the Financial Times , the German unicorn is transitioning from developing only AI technologies for defense to building its own drones, submarines, and aircraft.

Ek, the Swedish entrepreneur who is also developing and expanding his latest startup Neko Health , is betting on Helsing through his investment company Prima Materia—founded in 2020—for the second time.

Prima Materia invested in Helsing in 2021 and is now “doubling down” to help the defense company expand its product portfolio. Other investors, such as Accel, General Catalyst, Lightspeed Ventures, and Plural, also participated in the funding round.

The four-year-old company has now raised a total of €1.37 billion and has been valued at €12 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Ek explained that current conflicts—such as the war between Russia and Ukraine—have heightened awareness and accelerated the need for AI-powered military systems, which are being deployed at scale for the first time.

“There’s an enormous realization that it’s really now AI, mass and autonomy that is driving the new battlefield,” said Ek to the Financial Times. “We can’t understate the implications of that for this conflict [in Ukraine] or really any conflict going forward.”

Helsing has already sold thousands of drones fabricated in Germany to Ukraine and has established partnerships with Sweden, the UK, and Germany— and the Swedish defence group Saab.

The company has not disclosed how it plans to use the new funding.

Helsing is not the only tech company partnering with governments to provide advanced AI technologies this week. On Monday, the U.S. Defense Department awarded OpenAI a $200 million contract to develop AI technologies for national security.