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October 2013

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[Mickaboo Techlist] OT: Careful of email attachments - New Cryptolocker Virus (encrypts data)
by Shelley Core 16 Oct '13

16 Oct '13

Sorry if this seems so off topic but I just wanted to pass along that there's a new virus called "Cryptolocker" that has been circulating since last month. Unlike most viruses which usually cripple or render your computer unusable but your files are usually still intact (can be recovered) but this one does not, it is dangerous. The virus will actually encrypt (lock) your data on your system and become inaccessible unless you pay the ransom fee. Unfortunately, this is not a virus that can be "cleaned" or repaired with antivirus software. The emails are mostly targeting corporate users but I suspect it's only a matter of time before home users are infected. The emails appear to come from legit companies like UP, FedEx etc. etc. and the file attachment may appear to be a PDF document but it's really EXE file. You can read more details at: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/cryptolocker-ransomware-infor… http://blogs.sophos.com/2013/10/10/information-regarding-the-cryptolocker-r… So just a reminder - keep backups of your files & be diligent about opening email attachments! -Shelley

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