The Snatch ransomware, that attacks Windows systems, appears to have incorporated a new trick into its routine by rebooting PCs into safe mode before beginning the encryption of files on an infected system, the security firm Sophos claims.

Improvements in patching hygiene have led criminals to divert their attention away from browsers and turn instead to supply chain weaknesses, according to a security vendor.

The infamous ransomware WannaCry, which burst on to the world stage in May 2017, is still very much alive and infecting Windows PCs, but a zipped portion appears to have gotten corrupted, preventing its encryption and ransom note creation components from working.