The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced last week today the newest home computer attack by cyber criminals. It’s a revised Ransomware known as “Cryptolocker” which is being proliferated across
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced last week today the newest home computer attack by cyber criminals. It’s a revised Ransomware known as “Cryptolocker” which is being proliferated across the internet.
Previous Ransomware infections were more of a hassle in locking the computer when the malware was executed, however, Cryptolocker will encrypt and delete files on the user’s computers.
Cryptolocker begins as an email from what appears to be a reputable source such as Hewlett Packard or Xerox with an attachment. The email is actually spoofed and once the attachment is opened it will infect the user’s computer with the malware.
Although there have been reports the users who have paid have had their files unencrypted, most users will not receive such treatment and the files are forever lost. Unfortunately, the encrypted lost files can then only be restored from a backup source if available.
Detectives from the Ocean County High Tech Crime Unit stress that since Cyber Crook’s emails are originating from spoofed email accounts, home computer owners can only protect themselves by checking the senders of the emails and verifying the legitimacy of the sender.
Other simple ways to ward off these attacks are to not to visit untrusted websites or follow links provided by unknown or untrusted sources; be cautious when clicking on links in emails coming from trusted sources and insure anti-virus is installed on your home computer.
Those seeking additional information can contact the Ocean County High Tech Crime Unit at 732-929-2027.