What is Cryptolocker?
You’ve probably heard about Cryptolocker, or one of its numerous variants, in the news. Maybe you’ve heard about it from a friend of a friend who got bit by it. Perhaps you heard about the hospital who got hit. Crypto-based malware is the new hotness in illegal money making these days. The way they work is simple:
1. Find specific files on your system (or network drives if you have them) such as Word/Excel/Emails/PDFs.
2. Encrypt them using (usually) unbreakable encryption and upload the randomly created password to a server.
3. Let you know your files are being held hostage until you pay a ransom.
Most of these attackers utilize Bitcoin or Western Union in order to get money out of the country without a trace. With a few exceptions, almost all of these scams will give you access to your files after you’ve paid. Because if word gets around that paying does nothing, their well dries up.
How do I protect myself from Cryptolocker?
Don’t be fooled by Spam
This is an obvious tip, but it’s one I constantly tell people. Do not open email attachments you weren’t expecting. Repeat offenders I often see are emails made to look like a FedEx tracking number (cleverly hidden in an executable in a zip file), or a fake email sent from a scanner. These are main infection vectors. If you’re not sure, forward the email to your IT department. You might think you’re annoying them, but it’s much preferred to explaining to a board of directors why your company has to cough up $17,000 to a digital mafia.
Know Your AV
I’ve gotten a few calls from clients and relatives who inform me that they got an alert that there was a virus on their computer, “And so then I clicked on OK…” This is when I let out an exasperated sigh. If you aren’t sure what your antivirus looks like (or if you even have one), have your IT person show you. He or she can even make a training day out of it. Print screenshots so you know what it looks like when it finds a virus. If you do run into one of those annoying fake viruses like those above, quit your browser. If you’re really panicking, force shutdown your computer (hold the power button for 5 seconds until it turns off).
Ad Blocker
There has been a lot of hubbub about the usage of ad blocking technology. Many sites take issue with the unethical nature of readers skipping out on their main means of making money. However, due to the nature of how the Internet advertising environment has spiraled out of control, ad blocking has become essential. Sites, even big name ones, hand off advertising to third party companies, who in turn sell ads across thousands of websites. In most cases there is no human check or approval (that’s why you see the same horrible “Seven secrets for battling stubborn belly fat” ad on every website). But now even scammers are getting into it, as instant access to thousands of websites is too good to pass up. Numerous popular websites, including Forbes, Huffington Post, and even The New York Times have all shown ads infected with malware to its visitors.
My preferred solution is something called uBlock origin. It’s a plugin for Firefox and Google Chrome. If you’re dead set on using Internet Explorer, you can use a product called AdBlock Plus. These solutions may not be allowed in your network environment, so be sure you have permission. They also have been known to break some websites on occasion, so make sure you know how to disable them if and when they misbehave.