The provided information describes a malspam campaign identified as "M2M - Malspam 2017-09-11 'Email Invoice Requested'" associated with the Locky ransomware family. Malspam campaigns typically involve sending large volumes of unsolicited emails containing malicious attachments or links designed to infect recipients' systems. In this case, the campaign uses a social engineering lure themed around an invoice request, a common tactic to entice recipients to open the email and engage with the malicious content. Locky ransomware is known for encrypting victims' files and demanding ransom payments to restore access. Although the technical details are limited, the campaign's classification as malware and its association with Locky ransomware suggest that the primary threat vector is email-based delivery of ransomware payloads. The campaign was active around September 2017, and no specific affected software versions or patches are noted. The threat level is indicated as low, with no known exploits in the wild beyond the malspam distribution. The lack of detailed indicators or CWEs limits deeper technical analysis, but the core risk remains the potential for ransomware infection via phishing emails.

For European organizations, this type of malspam campaign poses a risk primarily through user interaction—employees opening malicious attachments or links. Successful infections can lead to file encryption, operational disruption, data loss, and potential financial costs related to ransom payments or recovery efforts. Although the severity is marked as low, the impact can be significant if the ransomware spreads within networks or affects critical systems. Sectors with high email communication volumes and less mature security awareness or controls are more vulnerable. Additionally, organizations subject to strict data protection regulations like GDPR may face compliance and reputational risks if sensitive data is compromised or unavailable due to ransomware.

To mitigate this threat, European organizations should implement targeted email security controls such as advanced spam filtering, attachment sandboxing, and URL rewriting to detect and block malicious content. User awareness training focused on recognizing invoice-related phishing emails and safe handling of attachments is critical. Deploy endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting ransomware behaviors and implementing application whitelisting can reduce infection likelihood. Network segmentation limits ransomware propagation if an infection occurs. Regular backups with offline or immutable storage ensure data recovery without paying ransom. Organizations should also monitor email traffic for unusual patterns and employ threat intelligence feeds to update detection capabilities. Incident response plans should include ransomware-specific procedures to minimize downtime and data loss.