Computer Hostages - Ransomware
Ransomware is a particularly nasty piece of malware that is spread through email, malicious or compromised websites, or by other malware that is already on your computer. The general purpose of ransomware is to either lock you out of your computer or somehow affect your files in a way that is irreversible without the help of the ransomeware operator. After affecting your computer the program then presents you with a message stating that your computer has been affected and to undo any damage that was done, you must pay a fee that is anywhere from $24 to $600 USD or its equivalent in Bitcoin.
One example of ransomware (pictured above) is CryptoLocker. CryptoLocker finds files like word documents, excel spreadsheets, or pdf documents and encrypts them so that you are unable to open them without a special key that is stored on the malware owner's machine. To receive this key, you are required to pay $300 to the owner of the malware and he then hopefully confirms payment and sends the key and instructions on how to decrypt your files. However there is no guarantee that this will happen, and there have been reports of the key NOT being delivered as promised. Some ransomware can be removed by an anti-virus program or by a tech savvy user, but programs like CryptoLocker or most ransomware even if removed will leave your files in the same unusable state. All in all the best way to get out of a situation where ransomware has infected your computer is to not let it get there in the first place.
It is very important to keep your antivirus up to date to prevent threats like this from infecting your computer, and it is equally important that when you are browsing the internet or checking emails that you verify the sender of emails and only go to websites that you know and trust.
For more information on CryptoLocker you can visit pandasecurity or view the video below
One example of ransomware (pictured above) is CryptoLocker. CryptoLocker finds files like word documents, excel spreadsheets, or pdf documents and encrypts them so that you are unable to open them without a special key that is stored on the malware owner's machine. To receive this key, you are required to pay $300 to the owner of the malware and he then hopefully confirms payment and sends the key and instructions on how to decrypt your files. However there is no guarantee that this will happen, and there have been reports of the key NOT being delivered as promised. Some ransomware can be removed by an anti-virus program or by a tech savvy user, but programs like CryptoLocker or most ransomware even if removed will leave your files in the same unusable state. All in all the best way to get out of a situation where ransomware has infected your computer is to not let it get there in the first place.
It is very important to keep your antivirus up to date to prevent threats like this from infecting your computer, and it is equally important that when you are browsing the internet or checking emails that you verify the sender of emails and only go to websites that you know and trust.
For more information on CryptoLocker you can visit pandasecurity or view the video below
For more information on ransomware you can visit Trend Micro Security
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