CryptoLocker Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Beware the insidious Gameover Zeus virus. Find out instantly if your PC is infected.

Posted on September 24, 2014

malware It seems like a new virus or trojan pops up every day, and they tend to get nastier as time goes on. The latest super-threat is the insidious Gameover Zeus virus.

Gameover Zeus is a particularly nasty form of malware. In addition to allowing other viruses (including the equally insidious CryptoLocker) to break into your system, it harvests every scrap of financial information it can find from your computer’s hard drive.

Approximately a quarter of a million people and institutions have fallen victim already, and the combined financial losses are staggering – and growing. [Read more…]

Beware the ultra-nasty CryptoWall ransomeware virus

Posted on June 20, 2014

cryptowall-screenshot Most folks are now aware of the nasty CryptoLocker ransomeware virus and have learned how to avoid it, but now its equally nasty successor has arrived on the scene.

Like CryptoLocker before it, CryptoWall takes over your PC and encrypts all the files on the hard drive, then demands that the user pay a hefty ransom in order to have the files un-encrypted. Only this time the ransom is even higher.

The CryptoWall ransom starts out at a whopping $500, then doubles every three days until the user finally gives in and pays the ransom.

To prove that they can indeed un-encrypt your files, the hackers behind CryptoWall will offer to un-encrypt just one of your files for free.

The best way to deal with the CryptoWall threat is to avoid getting it in the first place and be prepared just in case you fall victim to it anyway. Here’s how: [Read more…]

How to protect yourself against the insidious CryptoLocker ransomeware

Posted on November 11, 2013

CryptoLocker is an especially insidious form of “Ransomeware” – malware that basically locks up all the user data on your computer’s drives until you fork over some cash to a far-away crook.

What makes CryptoLocker so bad is the way it encrypts the user data on your hard drive using a super-strong encryption method. This makes it literally impossible to access your own data without forking over a bundle of cash in exchange for the unlock key.

The key to protecting yourself from CryptoLocker lies in prevention because even though there are several “cures” being hawked on the Internet, their effectiveness varies when they work at all.

Here are are a few things you can do to prevent your PC from getting infected with the CryptoLocker virus, and recover from it if you still end up getting hit: [Read more…]