Growing Threat Of Ransomware

WingaWinga MrSouth Africa Icrontian
edited May 2006 in Science & Tech
Have you heard of ransomware yet? This is where your machine gets infected with a Trojan that then threatens to delete files unless you pay up some cash.

A new Trojan, dubbed Ransom-A by antivirus company Sophos, carries a nasty message that demands a $10.99 payment, or it will delete one file every 30 minutes. Payment is demanded via the Western Union money transfer service. The Trojan claims that paying up will release a disarming code that can be used to neutralise the threat. As to whether this code actually works, or if you even get it, remains a mystery.
"This Trojan horse is designed to take your data hostage and tries to scare users into paying up quickly by threatening to wipe files one-by-one," Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said in the statement.
Source: TechSpot

Comments

  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    The first report of this was last year. More info on this....
    McAfee wrote:
    Aliases
    GPcoder
    TROJ_PGPCODER.A (Trend)
    Trojan.Pgpcoder (Symantec)
    Virus.Win32.Gpcode.b (Kaspersky)
    Read More from McAfee, HERE.
  • jradminjradmin North Kackalaki
    edited May 2006
    I hope they hang the people that make this stuff.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    When I read "Ransomware" I immediately thought of those programs that detect problems on your PC and then offer to fix them if you buy the program. I'm specifically thinking of programs like data retrieval programs, which are really hard to find as freeware.
  • ArmoArmo Mr. Nice Guy Is Dead,Only Aqua Remains Member
    edited May 2006
    GHoosdum wrote:
    When I read "Ransomware" I immediately thought of those programs that detect problems on your PC and then offer to fix them if you buy the program. I'm specifically thinking of programs like data retrieval programs, which are really hard to find as freeware.


    i thought the exact same thing, but wow, thats WAY worse!
  • EMTEMT Seattle, WA Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    I really doubt it works... how can they receive $10.99 anonymously?
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    EMT wrote:
    I really doubt it works... how can they receive $10.99 anonymously?

    "Transfer to this account number, it is an offshore account which will then be forwarded through 13 consecutive accounts throughout the globe..." blah blah.

    Don't you watch the movies!? :rolleyes2
  • RADARADA Apple Valley, CA Member
    edited May 2006
    Enverex wrote:

    Don't you watch the movies!? :rolleyes2

    Yes, I just leave reality in my hall closet before I attend any movie....
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