New Malware Locks Files for Ransom

[DaveLembke]

Interesting...

http://www.today.com/money/nasty-new-malware-locks-your-files-forever-unless-you-pay-8C11511655

[evilfantasy]

The malware isn't new at all. It has however been recently modified to extort more money from victims.

Ransomware demands additional payment to delete ‘criminal records’

- Don't go clicking on email attachments that are suspect. Especially shipping invoices. If you need your shipping information go to the shippers website and find it.
- Backup, backup, backup! Keep your personal files/folders backed up! Something as simple as using SkyDrive or Google Drive can make all the difference. Just because the malware can be removed is no guarantee that it will not do major damage in the process.
- Keep your AV updated and trust it when it says there is a problem. Curiously killed the cat!

[Geek-9pm]

Well, shall we wait here for somebody to say that is unreal? 
Someone might say you need to go to control panel and uninstall the last program you got and that solves the problem. 

Really, the story is being picked on other sites. It is a real thing.
http://www.wtop.com/256/3504095/Vicious-virus-locks-files-then-demands-ransom

[patio]

I have no idea what the 1st part of your reply means...

[evilfantasy]

Curiously killed the cat!

I 'curiously' botched my security rant...

[patio]

I 'curiously' botched my security rant...

Sorry... that was meant for Geek's reply above...which i just re-read and i stick to my reply...

[evilfantasy]

I knew it was to Geek

I compulsively re-read my replies. It's nearly a sickness at times...

[Geek-9pm]

I have no idea what the 1st part of your reply means...

Pardon my babel.
My intent was to say the threat is very real. But  so often somebody  claims it is easy to fix the problem. It is not easy to fix. As Evil Fantasy said, you have to have backups and even a backup plan. It requires forethought.
Here  is a short list of PC Backup Plans
Single Computer or Personal Backups
The idea is that the backup has to be separate from your computer and has to be updated frequently.
Also, search for Free Cloud Storage.

[evilfantasy]

The exception of SugarSync that list of backups is crap. IMO MyPC Backup should be considered malware. I had the pleasure of removing it from a PC last week.

[Calum]

The exception of SugarSync that list of backups is crap. IMO MyPC Backup should be considered malware. I had the pleasure of removing it from a PC last week.

Agreed.

Crashplan is my cloud backup of choice.

That aside, I read about this malware the other day, nasty stuff but easily avoided considering real shipping notifications aren't usually a double extension (fake) PDF in a zip file.

[evilfantasy]

CryptoPrevent is a tiny utility to lock down any Windows OS to prevent infection by the Cryptolocker malware or ‘ransomware’, which encrypts personal files and then offers decryption for a paid ransom.

• CryptoPrevent Homepage
  
• CryptoLocker Ransomware Information Guide and FAQ - Includes a guide to prevent your computer from becoming infected by CryptoLocker using CryptoPrevent.