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Hackers lock up thousands of Australian computers, demand ransom

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Dissent

Ben Grubb reports:

Thousands of Australian computers are being locked up by hackers using malicious software that encrypts files and asks for a ransom to make them available again.

Fairfax Media understands Australian government agencies and a number of large enterprises and individuals have been successfully targeted by the scam.

Called “Cryptolocker” and “CryptoWall”, the “ransomware” comes in various forms with the CryptoWall version estimated by the government e-safety alert service Stay Smart Online to have infected approximately 20,000 Australian computers.

Read more on Sydney Morning Herald.


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Category: MalwareNon-U.S.

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