BBC : Spike in ransomware spam

A spike in ransomware spam

A form of ransomware known as Locky has been cited as the cause in a sudden huge spike in infected emails spreading the file-locking malware.

In the BBC News article (10/03/2016, Link Below) it was suggested that Locky is already the second most prevalent form of ransomware despite only being released two weeks ago.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware, unwanted software used for nefarious purposes.

This particular malware will infect your computer, and then encrypt certain precious files using a hard-to-break encryption key.

It will target documents, images, anything that it thinks you will need. What it won’t do is stop your computer from working, the reason being that they need your machine to work so they can give you the chance of paying a ransom in order to get your files back.

What about using roll-back or time machine?

As ransomware evolves, it’s becoming smarter. This variant is also looking for and locking the locally saved roll-back ‘backup’ files.

Can’t you break the cryptographic lock?

It is extremely unlikely that you will be able to break the encrypted files, and to prevent using any types of brute-force attack, there is a time limit in which to pay up before the encryption key is deleted off the criminals servers.

What can I do about ransomware?

The best line of defence against ransomware infections, and any virus infection, is to be prepared. Have defensive measures in place to protect your network from allowing malware in, backed up with measures to prevent your computer from becoming infected, and further followed up with recovery solutions to protect your data if all else fails.

Who are the criminals targeting?

Anyone and everyone. While big business are obviously a more lucrative target, the criminals don’t really care as long as you pay up. So it may be Hospitals, Councils and Police Departments that make the headlines when they are infected, but it’s SME’s and home users that are the criminals bread-and-butter income.

BBC News Story (10/03/16)

#WeCanHelp

Contact us today to find out how we can help you plan your data security. From perimeter (firewall) security to individual device security, and data backup and recovery plans.

We can manage your backups both locally and off-site and perform regular recovery tests to insure your backup integrity and completeness

 

07825650122 | it@tinsleyNET.co.uk | @tinsleyNET | +tinsleyNETcouk | www.tinsleynet.co.uk | Facebook | #Stuff4Steph
tinsleyNET LTD | IT Services Consultants
Offering IT Services to businesses and home users across the UK
#WeCanHelp