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Cryptolocker Threat - Ransomware

B

BernardR

Guest
I have been reading about the above and was initially a little blasé but maybe we should all be more aware of the threats out there.

Here is a link to an article about it. I am posting this not to scare but to make folk more aware.


https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/15/cryptolocker_menace_triggers_nca_alert/


https://forums.computeractive.co.uk/showthread.php?t=236718

Note: The first poster on the second link is our very own Guilbert53 who I hope will add any additional advice he has to this thread.
 
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https://forums.computeractive.co.uk/showthread.php?t=236718

Note: The first poster on the second link is our very own Guilbert53 who I hope will add any additional advice he has to this thread.

My fame is spreading !

My main comment is that these ransomware type threats are genuine so don't ignore them.

My son had one on his PC a few months ago which basically locked him out of his PC.

Every time he started up his PC he got this image (said to be from the FBI) that totally blocked out his screen. He could not get past it to his Windows desktop so he could not do anything.

Luckily I am fairly experienced on PCs so I download the Kaspersky Rescue disk (for free), booted his PC up using it, and it ran a virus scan and got rid of it.

For people who are not that experienced it cold cost you £50 to get a PC engineer in to fix it.

Some suggestions.

1) Create a "spare" Windows logon on your computer that you don't normally use. Then if your main Windows userid is locked out you may be able to log on to the spare one to run your security software. Creating a spare Windows account is easy if you go into the Windows control panel and select User accounts.

2) Make sure you have security software on your PC and run it regularly.

3) Make sure you download all Windows and Office updates as soon as you can (or set it on automatic).

4) Backup ALL personal files to one or more external hard drives. You can buy an external hard drive for £50 or so. Just plug it in to your USB port and copy personal files from the PC to the external hard drive.

If you have a spare PC in the house, consider copying your personal files to that as well. I always say one backup is never enough as any backup can fail for one reason or another.

5) Remember as Christmas comes more spam and scam types emails are sent out.

Be wary of any emails that link to "funny" Christmas cards or videos, as they could just be links to a virus.

And if you get emails saying "Be aware of this scam, pass this email to all your friends" then PLEASE don't forward the email to all your friends.

Often these type of emails are the scam in themselves are often the "scam" they are reporting is in fact NOT a scam at all.

Don't assume these sort of things cant happen to you, it can happen to any of us.
 
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Excellent advice many thanks. Regretting chucking my old PC now.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
 
Re: Cryptolocker - Ransomware

guilbert53/BernardR.
Gentlemen, have just read your post with great interest. As someone who is "quite thick" when it comes to computers I will be following to the best of my capabilities, the advice given. Thank you both
jimbo
 
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Re: Cryptolocker Threat - Random Ware

This is a nasty Trogan my son alerted me to it after the company he works for were attacked thankfully their security stopped it! They got access through a laptop connected to the main system. As all the links have said back everything on your computer on an external harddrive and when finished unplug it as anything connected can be infected.

My son who now lives in the US has had a visit from the FBI as their name is being used in this ransom scam. He also said "The majority of infections are caused by email attachments, because that the easiest way to target deployment of the Trojan, but unfortunately it is not the only way. You can get it by visiting websites that execute the code from scripts". So be vigilant and take care with emails you don't know the source of.
 
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Computer Active (issue 411, 27 Nov) have recommended installing the free CryptoPrevent tool from www.snipca.com/10690 (this takes you to another website - FoolishIT). I've just installed it and will report back!
 
Hi Jukebox - I have had the Cryptoprevent tool installed since the day I posted the link - so far so goo. But then if it works would I even know?
 
I had this on my PC a few weeks ago, claimed they were the 'Leicestershire Constabulary' and required a fixed sum 'fine' (forgot the amount it was 3 figures) tried all ways to get rid of it, finally had to do a full recovery which took me about 7 hours, still better than getting an Engineer in. I frequently do full recoveries anyway (all my files are backed up on cd/dvd's. Eric
 
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