The provided information describes a malware threat identified as Locky ransomware, specifically referenced with the label "M2M - Locky 2017-10-10". Locky is a well-known ransomware family that emerged in 2016 and became notorious for encrypting victims' files and demanding ransom payments in cryptocurrency. The sample or incident referenced here appears to be from October 10, 2017, and involves a malicious archive file named "invoice_1234_sign_and_return.7z". This archive likely contains the ransomware payload disguised as a legitimate invoice document to trick users into opening it. The description mentions an offline affiliation ID and a string ".asasin" with the phrase "Document ... is complete," which may be part of the social engineering lure or internal tracking metadata used by the attackers. The threat is categorized as ransomware, which encrypts user data and demands payment for decryption keys. However, this particular entry is marked with a low severity and no known exploits in the wild at the time of reporting. The lack of affected versions and patch links suggests this is a generic detection or a sample rather than a newly discovered vulnerability or exploit. Locky ransomware typically spreads via phishing emails with malicious attachments or links, and once executed, it encrypts files on the infected system and connected network shares. The technical details indicate a moderate threat level (3 out of an unspecified scale) and minimal analysis depth (1), implying limited additional technical data is available in this report. Overall, this entry documents a known ransomware strain's presence or activity around the specified date, emphasizing the continued risk of ransomware delivered through deceptive email attachments.

For European organizations, the impact of Locky ransomware can be significant despite the low severity rating in this specific report. Locky ransomware encrypts critical business data, potentially causing operational disruption, data loss, and financial damage due to ransom payments or recovery costs. European entities with inadequate email filtering, user awareness, or endpoint protection are vulnerable to infection through phishing campaigns leveraging invoice-themed attachments, which are common in business communications. The ransomware's ability to encrypt files on network shares can lead to widespread data unavailability across departments, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information. Additionally, organizations subject to strict data protection regulations such as GDPR face legal and reputational risks if data availability or integrity is compromised. Although this report indicates no known exploits in the wild at the time, the presence of Locky samples highlights the ongoing threat of ransomware campaigns targeting European businesses, especially those in finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and public sectors where invoice processing is routine and critical.

To mitigate the threat posed by Locky ransomware and similar malware, European organizations should implement targeted measures beyond generic advice: 1) Deploy advanced email security solutions with sandboxing and attachment analysis to detect and block malicious archives like .7z files containing ransomware payloads. 2) Enforce strict attachment policies, blocking or quarantining suspicious file types commonly used in ransomware delivery (e.g., .7z, .exe, .js). 3) Conduct regular, scenario-based phishing awareness training emphasizing the risks of opening unexpected invoice attachments and verifying sender authenticity. 4) Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries, especially from user download folders or email attachments. 5) Maintain robust, tested offline backups with versioning to enable rapid recovery without paying ransom. 6) Segment networks to limit ransomware spread to critical systems and shared drives. 7) Monitor endpoint behavior for early indicators of ransomware activity, such as rapid file encryption or creation of ransom notes. 8) Keep all systems and security solutions updated to reduce attack surface, even though no specific patches are noted here. These focused controls help reduce the likelihood of infection and limit impact if ransomware executes.