CryptoLocker Ransomware, READ THIS, IMPORTANT

[djweeble]

Hopefully nobody here has been infected by this particularly nasty piece of crap that's currently doing the rounds, if you don't know about it then you should educate yourselves, have a read of this page:

 

http://www.secureworks.com/cyber-threat-intelligence/threats/cryptolocker-ransomware/

 

To put it in a simpler form: http://grahamcluley.com/2013/11/cryptolocker-protect/

 

If you make sure that you are up to date with your anti virus definitions, and you are careful about clicking on email attachments that you don't recognise, then you should be safe against it, but there are a couple of programs out there that protect against it installing itself even without anti virus software installed, this one for example:

 

http://www.foolishit.com/vb6-projects/cryptoprevent/

 

A favourite form of infection is by using double extensions, so make sure you have "Hide file extensions for known filetypes", unticked: http://blog.malwarebytes.org/online-security/2013/12/file-extensions-2/

 

BTW, All computers using Windows XP 2, Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1 are vulnerable to this, and it includes any Apple or Linux based computers running Windows in a virtual environment like Bootcamp, Parallels or VMWare.

 

[HoTMeLTer]

Only running Apple here so no worries but thanks for the heads up

[Alloneword]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25506020

[derren]

I have been receiving rogue emails to my business domain for the past 6 months.  Its as through someone is targetting me.  The thing is they come from sources that I actually deal with.  I work as an accountant and many of my spam emails are from HMRC, HMRC VAT returns, Companies House etc.  Then there are royal mail packages, DHL, Booking.com and even today one from Amazon.   All of these have a zip file attached that is a virus.   One day I received 50. 

 

Clients of mine to are reporting them so I reckon this is bigger than anything has been reported.  This obviously is a huge organised crime where the government seem helpless to act or just do not want to. 

 

Find these gangs, send over the special forces and put a few holes in them as this is nothing but extortion and blackmail on a scale i dont think we can fathom.

[cobra]

Just turn off Microsoft's CryptoAPI in Services as this malware uses the "Microsoft Enhanced RSA and AES Cryptographic Provider" and this CryptoLocker Ransomware will not know how to use Encryption.

 

Go to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Administrative Tools  Services

And look for "Cryptographic Services" and turn off.