Ransomware CryptoLocker Virus Affecting Desktops & Smartphones In India

The latest goon in the virtual world is the CryptoLocker Ransomware Virus. Affecting as many as five hundred machines on a daily basis, the Ransomware is the threat thats fast gripping our computing devices. It will not just take away your data like any other virus, it will rob you of your money too. It is a malicious software designed to block access to a computer until a sum of money is paid through a web gateway. Once this Windows malware is executed on a computing device it encrypts files in the victim’s computer, and demands a ransom 300 USD to be payed by the victim through prepaid card services like UKash, Bitcoin or MoneyPak within 100 hours inorder decrypt the victim's files. In early September 2013, Quick Heal Threat Research and Response lab received several incidents about this malware.

CryptoLocker uses unique RSA encryption method of public private key pair to encrypt each of its victim’s data. If you don't have access to the private key, it is practically impossible to decrypt the files encrypted in this way. The malware stores the private key on its command and control server which is not known. Since the decryption key is not stored on the infected computer, it is very difficult to decrypt the data encrypted by this malware. The malware gives a deadline of 100 hours to pay the ransom and get the private key to decrypt the data. If the amount is not paid it destroys the private key and your encrypted data is locked forever with no way to recover it. Hackers behind this malware are able to avoid the trace back by using digital cash systems like Bitcoins and MoneyPack where the payments can be anonymous. “This is one of the most destructive malware I have seen till date”, says Sanjay Katkar, CTO of Quick Heal, India. “Since last couple of weeks we have been seeing 500+ incidents per day of this malware. The incidents are being reported from all over India. It is essential that everyone connected to the Internet is aware of such a damaging malware. In these cases, prevention is always better than cure.” added Mr. Katkar.

ransomware-virus
An example of the Ransomware virus is provided by the case of Android.defender app, which is actually a fake one that locks up the device. Most users do not have the capability to uninstall the malicious app as the malware attempts to prevent other apps from being launched. The threat also changes the settings of the operating system. A sample study of 1000 users by Symantec found India to be the ransomware capital of Asia Pacific with 11% victims of virtual extortion. Ritesh Chopra of Norton, Symantec, says, "Today’s cybercriminals are using more sophisticated attacks, such as ransomware and spear-phishing, which yield them more money per attack than ever before. With 66% of Indian consumers using their personal mobile device for both work and play, this creates entirely new security risks for enterprises as cyber criminals have the potential to access even more valuable information."

Ransomware also called as FBI Moneypak virus, is prone to those who careleslly download and install apps on their machines and smartphones. We therefore recommend that you use secure connections only for banking transactions. Use precautionary measures like virtual keyboard for internet banking. Also advisable is being discreet about sharing personal information on social networks and refraining from downloading suspicious looking free apps. If you already haven't, then I think you should read our piece about India's Mega Cyber Attack Infrastructure Revealed - Destructive And Spooky!, that we covered a while back. Researchers have claimed that a group of attackers based in India have got a team of developers to work on delivering specific malware for private-threat actors.

Via: #-Link-Snipped-#

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