Cryptolocker ransomware has ´infected about 250,000 PCs´

BBC News ^ | 12/25/13 | Leo Kelion

[Nachum]

A virulent form of ransomware has now infected about quarter of a million Windows computers, according to a report by security researchers. Cryptolocker scrambles users´ data and then demands a fee to unencrypt it alongside a countdown clock. Dell Secureworks said that the US and UK had been worst affected. It added that the cyber-criminals responsible were now targeting home internet users after initially focusing on professionals. The firm has provided a list of net domains that it suspects have been used to spread the code, but warned that more are being generated every day. Ransomware has existed since at least 1989,

[gitmo]

Avast has a free removal tool. And free protection.

[Carriage Hill]

Have you tried the link in Post #37, for removal? Was it defeated, too?

[GeronL]

Sounds serious!

Does that program linked to earlier defeat cryptolocker?

[sneakers]

Oh just great. I just got a new computer (Dell) for Christmas!

[BerryDingle]

bfl

[Jeff Chandler]

While we are on the subject, what is a good antivirus software to run on Mint with Cinnamon? I use Avast on my M$ machines, but Mint doesn’t like it. I want an antivirus so I don’t pass anything along.

[fella]

“Advanced System Care” coupled with “Malware Bytes” and “Microsoft Security Essentials” works pretty well for me.

[indthkr]

malware bump for later.....

[mrsmith]

For a moderate degree of safety from infections wrap your new computer in aluminum foil (grounded) and don’t connect it to the power line, TV, wireless devices or internet. .

For a high degree of safety nuke it from orbit.
It’s the only way to be sure.

[miliantnutcase]

Stop giving your user’s local admin access. We restrict it on the domain and malware like this can’t install.
Disguising malicious code by adding a *.PDF or *.JPG to the end has been around forever.

[Scrambler Bob]

M4l

[kvanbrunt2]

there are :
There are 168.6 million computers in the U.S AS OF THE YEAR 2000. fromm some wiki site. 250,000 infected are just the dumbacrackers.

[Rodney Dangerfield]

I always check the properties of the rare file I D/L from someone I know as their email address book can be compromised.

You think a relative or friend is sending you a Christmas e-card or family pic or similar and then you’ve been had.

And I don’t even bother with text messages on my phone unless I know for sure that it’s from someone I know and even then I check the spelling and writing style for anything that doesn’t look right.

[LouAvul]

the malware reinstalled itself after the hard drive had a high level format and reinstallation of Windows XP

It had inserted itself into a file that was saved, and later, reinstalled.

[WhiskeyX]

See the Youtube video, noting the comments between timemarks 07:00 to 0:00.
Adam Kujawa, Malware Intelligence Analyst, Malwarebytes

Virus Advisory: CryptoLocker - How to Protect Yourself
LinuxTechShow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcj9RKO3e38

[Utilizer]

It had inserted itself into a file that was saved, and later, reinstalled.

Likely culprit a Flash vid, or a JavaScript in an html file that was causing the difficluties.

I would look at PartImage as a Rescue Enabler, and then disable all flash and java-whatever after a reinstall from a known clean backup occurred -especially before going online or reading an email on an html or script-enabled email reader -or web browser, at the very least.

[Paulie]

Good point. And an outrage too, that the NSA obviously refuses to commit time and resources to this. But enslaving Americans is more important, as the NWO is under some time pressure apparently.

[upchuck]

Anyone running Microsoft Security Essentials should go read this article: Goodbye Microsoft Security Essentials: Microsoft Now Recommends You Use a Third-Party Antivirus

[WhiskeyX]

No, that wasn’t possible. The system was not exposed to any of the old data files or the Internet. We suspect a hidden area on the hard drive in one instance and the system AMI BIOS in another instance.

MSI is now providing system boards with two EUFI on firmware, and then followed up with the ability to restore a EUFI from a USB flash drive. This was done in part to defeat the efforts of malware to infect and/or brick the system board by attacking the BIOS/EUFI.

When we used Malwarebytes and other anti-malware software to repair a couple of FBI ransomware hijackings, we found variants of the malware were systematically digging itself ever deeper into the system as we defeated the earlier efforts. It finally got down to the point where a Dell Optiplex 755 system would no longer enter the firmware setup. These variants were doing things the anti-malware software sources were saying weren’t possible, but they were possible and real.

[Utilizer]

Ehrmmm... see: http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3104222/posts