Posted on 07/31/2015 7:14:01 PM PDT by dayglored
People aren't good at waiting for stuff, and with, computer users queueing up to download Windows 10, ransomware purveyors have started to move in.
Cisco's security team has noticed a new spamming campaign attempting to spread the CTB-Locker ransomware using emails purporting to come from Microsoft, telling people they are ready to download Windows 10.
The emails mimic the actual Windows 10 messages Redmond is sending out (with some minor text mistakes) and have spoofed the originating address to read as update@microsoft.com, although the sender's IP address can be traced back to Thailand. There's also a Microsoft disclaimer, and a message claiming the files have been cleared as virus-free by Mailscanner.
A 734KB attachment included in the emails claims to be a Windows 10 installer but actually contains the ransomware, which sets to work encrypting documents, media files, and anything else that might be useful to the hapless people who double-click on it. Analysis of the source code is ongoing, but the elliptic curve encryption algorithm used looks sound.
"I suspect this one is going to be an absolute bastard to deal with because they use good asymmetric encryption," Craig Williams, security outreach manager of Cisco's Talos team told The Register.
(Excerpt) Read more at theregister.co.uk ...
Nasty.
Being the impatient person that I am, I got tired of waiting for my reserved copy, so I just downloaded it directly from Microsoft.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
Lovely OS. I’d describe it as a better version of 7.
My Windows System page says Windows 10 Home,
but when I run Belarc Advisor it says:
Windows 8.1 (x64) (build 9600)
Install Language: English (United States)
System Locale: English (United States)
Installed: 7/30/2015 7:07:15 PM.
Cant seem to find TabWorks.
Thailand?
How is vista working out for you? I heard that was a pretty lousy OS.
Full disclosure: I use Windows 7 on PC and iOS on iPhone.
Open a command prompt and type - winver
Vista works good on my main laptop and I use Windows 7 on my notebook. Both work fine.
Is this Chinese crap?
It could be, but the Chinese tend to be sneaky and quietly steal information for longer term state use. This encryption scam is more immediate and is for financial gain, so I suspect non-state criminals with shorter term goals. But that's just a guess.
Thanks dayflored - - nice logic...
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