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smartermsp.com • September 7, 2026

Thirteen years ago, computer users in the United States were returning to the office after the long Labor Day weekend when reports began surfacing of a new virus: Cryptolocker. The concept of ransomware wasn’t new — it had started back in 1989 with the AIDS Trojan — but widespread awareness of its implications was just beginning.

Social engineering drives rapid spread

According to early news reports , Cryptolocker was first spread via spam carrying a ZIP file. The ZIP file was purported to contain information a customer complaint (good ol’ social engineering). When word got out that tactic, future emails included a message a problematic check transaction, with a link to “fix” it. Instead, clicking the link downloaded a Trojan horse (Gameover Zeus), which attached the infected computer to a botnet and installed Cryptolocker. Other infected emails masqueraded as UPS or FedEx alerts .

The cost of Cryptolocker

Once installed, Cryptolocker encrypted the user’s files until a ransom was paid in bitcoin or another virtual currency. By mid-December 2013, security experts estimated up to 250,000 computers had been infected, with half in the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice later reported that an estimated $27 million in ransom payments had been made .

In June 2014, through the work of Operation Tovar , U.S. law enforcement officials announced that the results of a multinational sting had taken down key servers in the spread of Cryptolocker, as well as disrupted Gameover Zeus. The Justice Department identified Russian Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev as the suspected architect behind the malware. Bogachev is still at large .

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Photo: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock

Posted in: Featured , Tech Insight

Tagged in: Cryptolocker , social engineering , Tech Time Warp

Posted by Kate Johanns

Kate Johanns is a communications professional and freelance writer with more than 13 years of experience in publishing and marketing.

The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Cryptolocker Ransomware: A Historical Overview of Its Impact Thirteen years ago, Cryptolocker ransomware emerged, significantly raising public awareness of ransomware threats. It spread primarily through spam emails containing ZIP files, using social engineering tactics to deceive users. Initial messages included fake customer complaints, later evolving to problematic check transactions and shipping alerts. Once activated, Cryptolocker encrypted files and demanded ransom payments, primarily in bitcoin. By December 2013, approximately 250,000 computers were infected, half of which were in the U.S., leading to around $27 million in ransom payments. In 2014, Operation Tovar disrupted the Gameover Zeus botnet and took down key servers associated with Cryptolocker, although its suspected architect, Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev, remains at large. This event marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of ransomware and its impact on cybersecurity awareness. 2 sources 22

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