Before we get into what the Cyrptolocker virus is there are a few things we need to understand:
- What is malware?
- malware is a very broad term that is used to describe a variety of intrusive software (computer viruses)
- Some people get pleasure out of other people’s pain…strange concept I know, but nonetheless some people are just mean. Cyber criminals are real, remove the idea of “it will never happen to me” out of your head and protect yourself instead.
- Not everyone on the internet is your friend. Just like in the real world there is “stranger danger” on the internet. DO NOT TRUST STRANGE FILES OR EMAILS.
- What is ransomware?
- ransomware is a type of malware that prevents or limits a person from accessing their computer files and makes the victim pay a ransom in order to access their data. Just like a ransom in an old time movie, the fraudster is holding your stuff hostage until you pay.
- What does encrypt mean?
- Encrypting data or information means converting it into a cipher or code making it unreadable
- What is phishing?
- a phishing attack is when a fraudulent email is sent to your account asking for private information. This email is designed to look like a legitimate email from an account you already have or use (such as paypal, yahoo, ebay) once you “verify account information” the attacker has everything they need to hack into your account.
Okay now tell us about this Cryptolocker Virus…
- The Cryptolocker Virus usually comes from an email. When the email is opened and the victim downloads the file included, the cryptovirus encrypts all the victims files (including photos, documents, etc) Once all files are encrypted the cyrptolocker asks you to pay a ransom. If the ransom is not paid, all files will be locked forever. This is what the the Cryptolocker virus looks like:
Some of the tricks the hackers use:
- sending a “resume” to your place of business making you think someone is interested in employment
- Urgent action required making you think something is wrong with your account
- Legitimate links mixed with fake links
How do I prevent Cryptolocker Virus from attacking my computer?
- Backup your files frequently
- Do not open any unfamiliar emails or messages.
- Increase your email spam filter (which will limit the amount of spam your account receives)
[cait-kinslow]