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Sum Gai: Badly coded ransomware locks away data forever
BBC News ^ | November 9, 2915 | Sum Gai

Posted on 11/09/2015 10:18:51 AM PST by sparklite2

Power Worm infects Microsoft Word and Excel files but the latest poorly written update of it goes after many more types of data files it finds on a victim's machine.

Malware researcher Nathan Scott discovered the variant and uncovered the mistakes its creator made when updating it.

Mr Scott believes the errors arose when the creator tried to simplify the decryption process. They tried to make it use just one decryption key but mangled the process of generating it. As a result, there is no key created for the files it encrypts when it compromises a computer.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: ulikesumgai
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To: Mr. K

I opt for Comodo Internet Security (Disable the “Sandbox”).
Malwarebytes, Super Antispyware, Glary Utilities, and Norton Utilities. All Free and I never get infected, except for the ever present tracking cookies. No utility program is all encompassing. An arsenal of them is required to get most everything, and even then, I have yet to find one which will delete the ever growing .dat files (index items).

Glary Utilities has the fastest defrag program I have ever used.


41 posted on 11/09/2015 1:39:00 PM PST by Birdsbane ("Onward through the fog!" ... Oat Willie)
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To: sparklite2

A few people have called in here at work to report ransom ware. Their pc’s go in for reimage and they lose all their files.


42 posted on 11/09/2015 1:43:51 PM PST by minnesota_bound
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To: sparklite2

Virus creation should be a death penalty crime. Slow and painful.


43 posted on 11/09/2015 2:09:49 PM PST by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: DesertRhino

In the digital age creating something like ransomware is comparable to setting a forest fire that destroys many homes.

Hang ‘em!


44 posted on 11/09/2015 3:40:55 PM PST by Bobalu (Even if I could take off, I could never get past the tractor beam!)
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To: minnesota_bound

Why RollBack Rx snapshots cannot be touched by Crypto/ransomware

http://blog.horizondatasys.com/why-rollback-rx-snapshots-cannot-be-touched-by-cryptoransomware/


45 posted on 11/09/2015 3:53:12 PM PST by Bob434
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To: Bob434

Thanks. I will take a look at the free version
The consumer version is $69 so may be worth it.
http://www.horizondatasys.com/en/products_and_solutions.aspx?ProductId=40#Features


46 posted on 11/09/2015 4:57:05 PM PST by minnesota_bound
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To: Birdsbane

Privacy mantra supposedly does delete .day files. I used to use another utility for this as well, but can’t remember what it was.


47 posted on 11/09/2015 7:06:09 PM PST by jurroppi1 (The only thing you "pass to see what's in it" is a stool sample. h/t MrB)
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To: Bob434

The way I read it, the free version lasts thirty days.
Then, after that, you pay. Then you pay again every year. Folks gotta make a living, but I ain’t cheap.


48 posted on 11/09/2015 7:11:45 PM PST by sparklite2 (All will become clear when it is too late to matter.)
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To: jurroppi1; Birdsbane

I believe fileassassin was the utility I used before. I thought glary and ccleaner also did this, but it appears they don’t clear all day files.


49 posted on 11/09/2015 7:23:15 PM PST by jurroppi1 (The only thing you "pass to see what's in it" is a stool sample. h/t MrB)
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To: sparklite2

hmmm- the pro version at 69$ or whatever is a one time fee- I bought mine years ago and have never been forced to pay again

Horizons runs sales periodically where the program gets reduced to about $30 or so- usually around the holidays


50 posted on 11/09/2015 9:06:06 PM PST by Bob434
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To: Bob434

I’m misreading the web site, probably.


51 posted on 11/09/2015 9:08:29 PM PST by sparklite2 (All will become clear when it is too late to matter.)
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To: sparklite2

where did you read the free is charged every year? I was under impression that the free version was limited in the amount of snapshots, but did most everything the pro version does as far as protection against viruses-


52 posted on 11/09/2015 9:11:24 PM PST by Bob434
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To: sparklite2

Quick, someone tell Hillary!


53 posted on 11/09/2015 9:16:21 PM PST by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: sparklite2

I just checked, the free version only allows 7 snapshots- but with careful management, it can be done- I only use manual snapshots- turn off ‘snapshots when starting’ or whatever it’s called, and just do manual snapshots when needed- like after doing windows updates, I’ll do a snapshot, then after a week or so delete the previous snapshot if everything looks ok and the update didn’t break anything-

What I did was replaced my hard-drive- installed windows, updated windows, and did a snapshot right away- then installed software, (things like photoshop, dvd software etc) got them all updated, and did another snapshot- that was years ago- still have those two snapshots incase I ever want to get back to a clean install of windows and basic software- all it would take is rolling the system back- would take about 3-4 minutes or so- and system is restored to a nice clean state- no reformatting- no reinstalling htings etc- (I likely won’t want to do this as I’d lose lots of other things like bookmarks, site login passwords, etc etc etc- but if I had to it’s there to go back to)

Then I just do snapshots whenever I do something like install new software to try- if the software really mucks up computer, I just do a goback- no worries-

I’ll go for several months without doing any snapshots, and then do a rollback to my last snapshot several months ago- this way incase my computer picked up a virus, or some files get corrupted or whatever, it goes back to a known good state- then I’ll update the snapshot to a more current time right after I did the rollback

Sounds kinda complicated, but it’s not really- Basically what I’ve done is kept the computer clean to a known good time by always using the same snapshot when I rollback the system (Immediately after the rollback, I’ll update any necessary stuff like Silverlight, flash or whatever, and immediately do another snapshot before I start using the internet much- so it’s like going back to the previous snapshot, doing a few quick updates, and updating the snapshot to a more recent snapshot

Hard ot explain I guess- but easy to do


54 posted on 11/09/2015 9:24:10 PM PST by Bob434
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To: minnesota_bound

it’s a one time fee- and like I said- it’s been the best $70 I spent- also, if you wait till around Christmas, it should go on sale- about $30-40 or so


55 posted on 11/09/2015 9:26:05 PM PST by Bob434
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To: Bob434

Makes a lot of sense. I’ll try the home version.


56 posted on 11/09/2015 9:39:27 PM PST by sparklite2 (All will become clear when it is too late to matter.)
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To: sparklite2

just be aware, you may have to turn off windows restore points- I think the two conflict or something if I remember right

Be sure to turn off automatic snapshots whenever you start the computer too- although if it only allows 7 snapshots- not sure if it’ll automatically delete oldest snapshots to make way for each new snapshot or not- or if it will just do 7 then stop taking snapshots— it seems it would delete olest ones as it would be better it seems to keep taking daily snapshots but who knows- I would just turn of auto snaps and do them manually- that way I control what snapshots I want to take and when


57 posted on 11/09/2015 10:10:43 PM PST by Bob434
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To: Bob434

It’s installed. I’m surprised I had to create my own desktop shortcut to kick it off, but everything went without a hitch.


58 posted on 11/09/2015 10:14:02 PM PST by sparklite2 (All will become clear when it is too late to matter.)
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To: Bob434

I’ve set the task scheduler to “one time” which should stop any automatic snapshots, also locked the snapshot from being deleted. I’m going to leave windows Restore on for now. Don’t want to disable it if I don’t have to.


59 posted on 11/09/2015 10:22:33 PM PST by sparklite2 (All will become clear when it is too late to matter.)
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To: Bob434

Maybe it isn’t necessary to mess with system restore.

This is from an Amazon review ...

Rollback Rx is best classified as an Instant System Restore (ISR) app. It has been described as “Windows System Restore on Steroids” as it disables and replaces Windows System Restore ..


60 posted on 11/09/2015 10:28:33 PM PST by sparklite2 (All will become clear when it is too late to matter.)
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