CryptoLocker - watch out!

Everybody watch out! CryptoLocker is a new and nasty computer infection which encrypts your files and demands a ransom to unlock them.
CyrptoLocker is different from other types of “ransomware” that freeze your computer and demand payment. Those can usually be removed which restores access to your files and documents. But not CryptoLocker – it encrypts your files. There’s only one decryption key and unless you pay the ransom within 3 days that key will be destroyed. And after that nobody will ever be able to restore your files. They are gone forever.

(14-11-2013 13:39 )whizzer Wrote:  Everybody watch out! CryptoLocker is a new and nasty computer infection which encrypts your files and demands a ransom to unlock them.
CyrptoLocker is different from other types of “ransomware” that freeze your computer and demand payment. Those can usually be removed which restores access to your files and documents. But not CryptoLocker – it encrypts your files. There’s only one decryption key and unless you pay the ransom within 3 days that key will be destroyed. And after that nobody will ever be able to restore your files. They are gone forever.

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CryptoLocker for more info.

It's a good idea to enable viewing of file extensions.
I had an .exe file disguised as a faulty jpg file a couple of weeks back, from a batch of celeb pics.
Don't know what it would have done - binned it straight off. But wouldn't have known if I'd just been using the default folder settings.

Article about it on BBC site
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24964426

The FBI have identified the person they believe is behind the crytolocker ransomware, someone by the name of Evgeniy Bogachev, who they say has made millions out of it.

So you should be OK if you don't open any unexpected EMail attachments...

(04-06-2014 21:39 )Charlemagne Wrote:  So you should be OK if you don't open any unexpected EMail attachments...

Yes, they come from emails that should be sent to your spam folder. Beware though that if you use Hotmail or Outlook these dodgy emails don't go to the spam folder they go straight into the In folder. Hotmail and Outlook are really poor at preventing spam in the first instance. They leave it up to you to deal with it once it's in the Inbox.