[oh8eleven]

prompts you to send a ransom of either $100 or $300 in order to decrypt the files.
Extortion. Why not call the cops or local FBI?

www.foolishit.com
Surely you jest.

[Pollster1]

Everything I care about is backed up in a second file on my hard drive, on two thumb drives that alternate from week to week, and if it’s not too sensitive in two email addresses. In no case would I pay extortion money to terrorists, unless the FBI asked me to do so to track and prosecute them (or to put a drone missile where it would do the most good - drone strike for cyber-theft? Yep!).

[HereInTheHeartland]

Sounds like Obamacare.

[Springfield Reformer]

A quick Google of “cryptolocker” seems to finger cryptolocker as malware too. How does CryptoLocker have any cred as one of the good guys? Just curious ...

[GeronL]

I certainly hope there are a ton of people working on this problem. I also hope they find the people doing this and throw them in prison.

[BuffaloJack]

The easiest way to prevent this is to do all of your internet surfing from a virtual PC. I’ve been doing this for about 4 years. Any time the Virtual system acts up. I shut it off, erase it and clone in a new untouched virtual system and continue. It takes 10 minutes to clone the backup OS and start over.

[DB]

The only way to know that the CryptoPrevent program is safe is look at the code, or have someone else competent review the code. Scanners mostly only look for known malicious code. When you run a program on your computer (a Windows computer) you are essentially giving it access to everything on your machine.

[GeronL]

does this thing affect Linux?

[pluvmantelo]

Run as a limited user, set UAC to high, don’t mindlessly click links in email, don’t open attachments and think before clicking on a file that has one of the following attachments:
BAT Batch File
BIN Binary Executable
CMD Command Script
COM Command File
CPL Control Panel
Extension
EXE Executable Windows
INF Setup Information
File
INS Internet
Communication
Settings
INX InstallShield
Compiled Script
ISU InstallShield
Uninstaller Script
JOB Windows Task
Scheduler Job File
JSE JScript Encoded File
MSC Microsoft Common
Console Document
MSI Windows Installer
Package
MSP Windows Installer
Patch
MST Windows Installer
Setup Transform File
PAF Portable Application
Installer File
PIF Program Information
File
PS1 Windows PowerShell
Cmdlet
REG Registry Data File
RGS Registry Script
SCT Windows Scriptlet
SHB Windows Document
Shortcut
SHS Shell Scrap Object
U3P U3 Smart Application
VB VBScript File
VBE VBScript Encoded
Script
VBS VBScript File Windows
VBSCRIPT Visual Basic Script
WS Windows Script
WSF Windows Script

[Vendome]

Malware bytes

Spybot

Fprot

No problemo

[maine-iac7]

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/cryptolocker.asp

[max americana]

“prompts you to send a ransom of either $100 or $300”

so it’s the obamacare of viruses?

[Windflier]

Ok, this seems to be a legitimate threat. Have any of our resident techies checked out the CryptoPrevent tool to verify that it's clean and effective?

I'd really like to see some verification from trusted Freepers before I go and install this thing on all my family's computers.

Thanks.

[UB355]

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/malicious-software-removal-tool-details.aspx

[Fire_on_High]

BFL, gonna come back to this if anyone confirms the tool is clean.

[Carriage Hill]

There was another ransomware “FBI virus” which held computers hostage claiming child porn, and unlocking it for money, too:

http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/Phony-FBI-Virus-Can-Hold-Your-Computer-Hostage-212056411.html

[piytar]

This is a case where I would be perfectly fine with the government hunting the scum behind this scam down and exterminating them. Painfully. They are pure scum.

[mrsmith]

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9243537/Cryptolocker_How_to_avoid_getting_infected_and_what_to_do_if_you_are_?taxonomyId=85&pageNumber=1

[JoeProBono]

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/cryptolocker.asp

[philetus]

https://www.NSAFileRecovery.com