Cryptolocker ransomware - really nasty computer virus

[alison]

I hope none of you have been affected by this, and won't be, but forewarned is forearmed, as they say.  Cryptolocker is a really nasty thing which, if it gets onto your computer, encrypts all your data files, and then if you don't pay a "ransom" within 3 days the perpetrators throw away the decryption key so you can't decrypt them.  It's proving very difficult to counteract, which is why I thought I'd post about it here.  It gets delivered, among other things, in spoof emails relating to payments and online purchases, so the warning never to click on a link in an email applies tenfold in this case, because it is capable of bypassing antivirus programs.  As usual, the best thing you can do is to make sure your entire system is backed up properly, then at least you will at best only lose your most recent additions to files.

 

http://readwrite.com/2013/11/08/cryptolocker-prevent-remove-eradicate

[porthesia]

Thank you for the warning on this, will be extra vigilent

[taxi4ballet]

Sounds gruesome.

 

We've been getting a lot of 'spoof' emails about stuff lately - usually saying that there is a repayment of some sort waiting to be claimed.

 

Oh yeah?