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[ In a world of risk, know who to trust ] |
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New ransomware scam discovered
Ransomware blackmailers have suddenly become a lot more creative in their methods. Usually Ransomware involved cyber criminals stealing data from a computer and literally holding it to ransom until the owners paid up. Other variations included encrypting files and then only giving the user access codes once they had paid.
But now Panda Software has shown a new strain of ransomware, which pretends that it is a free password generator, which will give users access to porn sites. However the password generator is actually adware that installs spyware as well as the antispyware to sort the problem out.
When the programs are activated, the user is told that his PC is infected and that the only way that the PC can be fixed is by buying the antispyware program.
Even more interesting is that some ransomware authors have forced users to buy products from online drugstores before their system will be sorted out.
The malware first encrypts all the files that exist in the "My Documents" folder by compressing them into an image file that is protected by a password. It then deletes everything in the file. Then a notification is sent to the user insisting that they do not involve the authorities or the criminals will destroy the files. The only way to fix the problem is by purchasing items from a list of online pharmacies. Once the purchases have been made, the password for the image file is sent via email.
Jeffrey Aboud of Trend Micro, says: "the culmination of phishing, spyware and spam, in addition to the 'ransom note', signals an emerging trend in the past year, whereby many different types of threats being employed simultaneously in a single attack."
Read the original article here
http://techplanetasia.com/security/index.php/article/ransomware_gets_creative/
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