There is news of a recently discovered malware (or we could use the term “ransomware”) called “CyrptoLocker” that encrypts personal files on infected computers and demands a ransom to unlock or release these files. An article by Today.com website explains this security threat and how it will impact your computer.
According to the digital security company “Sophos” this malware tracks user’s personal files (pictures, spreadsheets, word documents, music files, etc.) , encrypts them in which the cybercriminal behind the malware has the decryption key and asks for payment (sometimes hundreds of dollars) .
In the past, ransomware infections have been known to lock the infected computer entirely, but this “CyrptoLocker” malware allows the computer to function, but locks only particular files. To make matters worse, the infection has a timed countdown in which displays the hours remaining until the decryption key is deleted completely, thus leaving your files unable to restore. This malware is known to come through as an executable file via email attachment and having a good Anti-virus product can detect it (even clean it out), but if the files already become encrypted you could be in trouble. We always recommend having a good recent backup of your personal files as one can restore files if necessary.
To read the article from today.com and for more detailed information – click here