A new form of ransomware is infecting users around the world by disguising itself as applications or games and tricking victims into downloading and launching it on their PCs.

Anatova ransomware first emerged on January 1 this year and the new code behind it suggests that the cyber criminals distributing it are experienced malware developers.

It displays the ability to morph quickly, with the potential for new evasion tactics and spreading mechanisms to be easily added. Anatova also comes equipped with strong encryption, using a pair of RSA keys to lock users out of files — a tactic also used by some of the most successful ransomware families like GandCrab and Crysis. Read more: