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I have recently had the unpleasant experience of having one of the new variants of the cryptolocker malware infect our computer servers at work. In case someone doesn't know, its a computer worm that encrypts all the standard-format files on a system so that the use can't open the file without a "key," supplied by the hacker for a ransom. My question, which I have researched extensively over over the internet, is whether it is advisable consider paying the ransom, if there is enough "honor among thieves" to trust that the files will be unlock if I pay, and if...

DICKSON, Tenn. — The Dickson County Sheriff's Office in Middle Tennessee ended up paying a ransom after a malicious computer program blocked access to their files. Detective Jeff McCliss told WTVF-TV that malware on a computer locked the agency's case files, which included autopsy reports, witness statements and crime scene photos. He says the malware, called "Cryptowall," doesn't tamper with files on a computer, but keeps them locked until a ransom is paid.

Synology network attached storage (NAS) devices, capable of storing terabytes of data, have been targeted by ransomware that encrypts victims’ files. Owners of Synology's NAS devices might want to unplug their storage boxes now to avoid being affected by ransomware that uses strong encryption to lock files on the brand’s machines and demands US$350 for the decryption key. The new attack on Synology kit comes within a year of Synology NAS devices being struck by fraudulent Bitcoin mining operators, with several owners on Sunday reporting that they had found a message from the “SynoLocker Automated Decryption Service” — when accessing...

A virulent form of ransomware has now infected about quarter of a million Windows computers, according to a report by security researchers. Cryptolocker scrambles users´ data and then demands a fee to unencrypt it alongside a countdown clock. Dell Secureworks said that the US and UK had been worst affected. It added that the cyber-criminals responsible were now targeting home internet users after initially focusing on professionals. The firm has provided a list of net domains that it suspects have been used to spread the code, but warned that more are being generated every day. Ransomware has existed since at...

Massachusetts cops have admitted paying a ransom to get their data back on an official police computer infected with the devilish Cryptolocker ransomware.Cryptolocker is a rather unpleasant strain of malware, first spotted in August, that encrypts documents on the infiltrated Windows PC and will throw away the decryption key unless a ransom is paid before a time limit. The sophisticated software, which uses virtually unbreakable 256-bit AES and 2048-bit RSA encryption, even offers a payment plan for victims who have trouble forking out the two Bitcoins (right now $1,200) required to recover the obfuscated data. On November 6, a police...

The Crypto Locker virus is a new piece of “ransomware” that is said to be one of the worst viruses to ever infect Windows PCs. The virus takes over a computers files, encrypts them, and then holds the files ransom until a user pays to have them freed by clearing out the virus. The Crypto Locker virus is sent to users through emails that have innocent enough looking senders, such as UPS or FedEx. Once the file is installed a display pops up demanding upwards of $100 to restore a users important files. In same cases users have stated that...

Heads up and Prevention of New New Virus sweeping the Interwebs: CryptoLocker http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/cryptolocker-ransomware-information PROBLEM: CryptoLocker is a ransomware program that was released around the beginning of September 2013. This ransomware will encrypt certain files using a mixture of RSA & AES encryption. When it has finished encrypting your files, it will display a CryptoLocker payment program that prompts you to send a ransom of either $100 or $300 in order to decrypt the files. This screen will also display a timer stating that you have 96 hours, or 4 days, to pay the ransom or it will delete your encryption...