ransomware

One of the nastiest ransomware variants may have been defeated. Two security researchers have reportedly figured out a way to recover access to an encrypted computer without paying an extortion fee. Most forms of ransomware involve infecting a ... victim's computer and then individually encrypts files. That leaves the victim able to run Windows, but unable to access any of their data. The Petya variant is more dangerous as it encrypts the hard drive's master file table. That's a database which has the details of every files on a computer, including those for Windows itself. If the master ... (view more)

The people behind phishing emails appear to be getting more sophisticated. Reports from both sides of the Atlantic say such emails are including more personal details, something that was previously used only for high value target. Phishing emails ... are a way to try to trick people into either providing confidential information such as bank details or online passwords, or by clicking on links that install malware, usually through security weaknesses in web browsers or office software. More and more phishing attacks now involve trying to install ransomware that locks up a computer until the ... (view more)

The FBI has asked businesses for urgent help dealing with a new form of ransomware. The attack is designed to compromise an entire network, rather than just a single computer. Ransomware is a form of malware that damages a computer in a way that's ... usually reversible - but only by the malware creators. Commonly it involves encrypting files or even an entire hard drive so that they can't be accessed without a key, which is only provided when the victim hands over a fee. Last month the FBI put out a warning of a form of ransomware dubbed MSIL/Samas.A. It targets a security vulnerability ... (view more)

According to security firm Symantec, the proportion of spam emails has fallen to their lowest levels in 12 years. It's the first time since 2003 that the majority of emails are not spam. While the figures are compiled from a variety of sources, the ... main source comes from customers using Symantec security products containing some form of email filtering. That could mean the report is slightly distorted towards those who find spam especially problematic, and thus overstate their level of spam. Overall, Symantec estimates that 49.7 percent of email messages contain spam. This covers all email ... (view more)

Four police departments in Maine have paid $300 to cybercriminals after being hit by so-called " ransomware ". Officials say they weighed up their response and decided they had no real choice but to pay up. Ransomware is a form of malicious software ... which restricts access to certain parts of a computer it infects. Victims then see on-screen messages stating that a ransom must be paid to regain access . In most cases, cybersecurity experts warn against paying such ransoms for three reasons. Firstly, it may mean getting added to a "suckers list" that can be sold on to other ... (view more)

A new report from security firm ESET finds that the TorrentLocker ransomware scam has now encrypted an estimated 285 million files. Unfortunately, ESET security experts don't see the rate of infections dropping off any time soon. A TorrentLocker ... infection, like other ransomware schemes (such as CryptoWall or CryptoLocker ), usually takes place when a victim downloads a malicious file. Although the name TorrentLocker might suggest infections come through the way of torrents (a file typically used for file sharing), it does not; in fact, most TorrentLocker infections come through email. ... (view more)

Cybercriminals behind a brand new type of ransomware scam have implemented a new strategy they hope will convince more people to pay up. Unlike other ransomware scams, this one offers victims the ability to reclaim some of their files for "free." ... Ransomware is a type of malware that locks users out of their systems . In most cases, a victim must pay a fee -- usually around several hundred dollars -- to reclaim control of their computers. However, there's no guarantee that a ransomware cybercriminal will follow through on the deal, and most security experts advise against ... (view more)

Some of the web's most popular sites, including Yahoo, AOL, and dating portal Match.com, were recently hit by a wave of malicious advertisements linked to ransomware . The attack was carried out using vulnerabilities in web browsers plugins , and if ... successful, automatically (and silently) installed file-encrypting software CryptoWall on victim's PCs. According to reports, the malicious advertising -- or 'malvertising', as it's being called -- appeared on 22 different websites, including realestate.aol.com, and several Yahoo pages, including Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Sports. Three Million ... (view more)

A new form of ransomware has reportedly infected more than half a million computers in the past six months, making its creators an estimated $1 million. Ransomware is a type of malicious software (or " malware ") that takes control of a computer ... system and then holds it for ransom. In many cases, if victims do not pay the ransom, the data on the computer is encrypted and rendered unusable. The ransomware program in question is known as CryptoWall. According to Dell SecureWorks' Counter Threat Unit (CTU), CryptoWall has been spreading rapidly since late last year. In fact, in ... (view more)