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…
Search Results for: ransomware
Russian Charged With Running $100 Million Data Theft Plot
Sophia Pearson reports: An accused Russian hacker faces U.S. charges over his suspected development of malicious computer software that cybercriminals used to steal more than $100 million from businesses and consumers since 2011. Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev, 30, ran a criminal ring responsible for Gameover Zeus and Cryptolocker, a form of malware known as ransomware, the…
More than 1,400 Financial institutions in 88 Countries targeted by Banking Trojan in 2013
Swati Khandelwal writes: As the year draws to a close, we have seen the number of emerging threats like advance phishing attacks from the Syrian Electronic Army, financial malware and exploit kits, Cryptolocker ransomware infections, massive Bitcoin theft, extensive privacy breach from NSA and many more. The financial malware’s were the most popular threat this year….
AU: Hackers steal physio clinic files
Jessica Elder reports on another case of ransomware and an extortion demand affecting a health facility in Australia: A Mermaid Waters physiotherapy clinic is the second medical practice on the Gold Coast to be held to ransom by an international hacker demanding $5000 to unlock patient files. The scam, which has affected businesses across the…
AU: Hackers’ extortion bid on schools
I don’t recall ever seeing an media report on an extortion/ransom attempt on a school, but here’s a case out of Australia, where they also seem to have more media reports of ransomware in the healthcare and small business sectors than we do. As reported by the Herald Sun: Schools have emerged as a new…
For PC Virus Victims, Pay or Else
Nicole Perlroth writes: Kidnappers used to make ransom notes with letters cut out of magazines. Now, notes simply pop up on your computer screen, except the hostage is your PC. Read more on The New York Times. I was interested to read that some researchers estimate that 2.9% of compromised computer owners pay out and…