Ransomware is one of the scary weapons wielded by cyber criminals. This is a type of malware that is installed on your computer and then accessed by the installer who remotely locks up your computer and then demands payment for restoration. It’s basically virtual extortion. Although this type of online crime has been around for the past six years, most of its victims were situated in Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, the trend has gone global and now we all need to be aware of it.
The installation of Ransomware can unknowingly occur if a user visits a malicious website, opens a malicious attachment or clicks on a malicious link in an email message. Once infected, the resulting scenario is usually something like this:
A message pops up on a user’s screen claiming that because the user browsed illegal pornographic websites, the computer had been locked and a fine must be paid via a PIN to regain control of the screen and keyboard. Some versions of this scam even have a bogus FBI logo as part of the screen design. The fine amounts being reported are typically $200 on average. The evil genius of the scheme is that many users are so embarrassed by the incident that they willingly pay the fine to avoid the humiliation of a computer repair service knowing about their alleged porn viewing. Oh yeah, there is usually a pornographic image on the screen when it is locked, so that adds insult to injury.
Symantec discovered a command-and-control server being used by the malware. After observing the server for a month, they were able to determine how much revenue the scam was generating on average (about 5 million/year) and how many users were paying the ransom, which turned out to be approximately 3% of those infected by the malware.
How can you protect yourself from these cyber terrorists?
1. Be hesitant to click on online ads or suspicious links. One type of ransomware was designed to infect PCs throught ads on compromised adult websites
2. Keep Windows, Java, Flash, Adobe Reader and Windows software updated with the most recent patches
3. Make sure your firewall is turned on
4. Have Teltek evaluate your internet security measures and install and maintain updates for your antispam, antispyware and antivirus software
If you do get infected by Ransomware, set your embarrassment aside and enlist the services of a computer security professional, they have seen everything anyway. You can rest assured that if you get into a mess like this, you can count on Teltek to set things right again. We don’t judge, we just fix!
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