Malicious Virus Threat - Cryptolocker
What is Cryptolocker?
Cryptolocker (also known as Crilock) is a particularly nasty virus that holds data hostage, earning it’s classification as “ransomware.” It does this by silently encrypting all of the common file types such as documents, photos, music, and many others. Only once the program has finished encrypting will it notify the user by launching a pop-up window with a ransom demand (typically around $350, varying between infections) and a timer to pay before the decryption key is destroyed, causing complete loss of all encrypted data.
Without the decryption key, which is housed on the malware’s private server and can only be obtained by paying the ransom, data recovery is not possible.
You should not pay for this key.
Protecing Yourself
It appears that the virus often – though not always – comes in the disguise of an e-mail from a shipping company (UPS, FedEx, etc.) claiming to contain tracking information for packages. This is particularly alarming because of the upcoming holiday season. One very important thing to remember is that UPS or FedEx will NEVER ask you to download an attachment, especially for tracking information. That said, you should also keep in mind that this is merely the most common route of infection and these types of scams tend to evolve into other devious forms.
Here are some other tips to keep your computer safe from this, and other virus threats:
- Avoid downloading or opening any email attachments unless you are absolutely certain what it is and where it came from.
- Concerning Cryptolocker specifically, it is helpful to know that most online retailers offer package tracking from within their own sites. For example, you can see the status of your package from Amazon under the “My Orders” section.
- Download programs only from companies you trust, and do so from their website directly, rather from an email attachment.
- Don't click links on suspicious websites or in email messages. Instead, type the website address directly into your browser, or use bookmarks.
- If you're not sure whether to trust a program you are considering downloading, enter the name of the program into your favorite search engine to see if anyone else has reported that it contains spyware. Files that end in the extensions .exe or .scr commonly hide malware. However, even files with familiar extensions such as .docx, .xlsx, and .pdf can be dangerous.
- Don't automatically trust that links in instant messages, email messages, or messages on social networking websites are from the person they appear to be from. Even if they are from someone you know, contact the person before you click the link to ensure that they intended to send it.
Source: Western Governors University
