The provided information pertains to a malware threat identified as 'Locky' distributed via malspam campaigns around March 11, 2016. Locky is a ransomware family that typically spreads through malicious email attachments, often disguised as invoices or other business documents. Once a user opens the infected attachment, the malware executes and encrypts files on the victim's system, rendering them inaccessible without a decryption key. Locky uses strong encryption algorithms, making recovery without paying the ransom or having backups difficult. The malware also attempts to spread laterally within networks to maximize impact. Although the provided data is limited and lacks detailed technical indicators or affected versions, Locky is historically known for its widespread impact and significant disruption to organizations worldwide. The threat level is noted as 3 (moderate), and the severity is marked as low in the source, likely reflecting the age of the incident and the availability of mitigations since 2016. No known exploits in the wild are reported in this record, but the malware itself is an active threat vector through social engineering and phishing emails.

For European organizations, Locky ransomware poses a substantial risk to data confidentiality and availability. Successful infections can lead to encrypted critical business data, operational downtime, financial losses due to ransom payments or recovery costs, and reputational damage. Sectors with high reliance on data integrity and availability, such as healthcare, finance, and public services, are particularly vulnerable. The disruption caused by Locky can also affect supply chains and service delivery. Although the original campaign dates back to 2016, variants and similar ransomware tactics continue to threaten organizations, especially those with insufficient email security and endpoint protections. The impact is amplified in organizations lacking robust backup strategies or incident response plans.

To mitigate Locky ransomware threats, European organizations should implement multi-layered defenses beyond generic advice: 1) Deploy advanced email filtering solutions that use machine learning and heuristic analysis to detect and quarantine suspicious attachments and links. 2) Enforce strict attachment handling policies, including blocking executable files and macros in emails or sandboxing attachments before delivery. 3) Conduct regular and targeted user awareness training focused on phishing and social engineering tactics specific to ransomware. 4) Maintain comprehensive, immutable, and offline backups of critical data to enable recovery without paying ransom. 5) Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of identifying ransomware behaviors such as rapid file encryption and process anomalies. 6) Apply network segmentation to limit lateral movement in case of infection. 7) Keep all systems and security software up to date with the latest patches and signatures. 8) Develop and regularly test incident response plans tailored to ransomware scenarios.