New Virus Alert, Beware of “CRYPTOBLOCKER RANSOMWARE”

[Copierguy0]

I have recently learned that there is a new virus that is a threat to your environment. This infects the user’s machines and puts them at risk of losing important information and files. Infected users are instructed to pay $300.00 to receive the private key to decrypt THEIR information. This is spread through EMAIL attachments and botnets. Infection via email is fairly easy to avoid: Take care with attachments that you weren’t expecting, or from people you don’t know well. Especially Attachments that end with: .PDF .ZIP .EXE

Hobby Safe my Friends,
CG

[Lookin4girlz]

Yep that is true. I had a client's system that got it a couple of weeks ago. The computer it was inadvertently run on was mapped to their data folder on their server and it encrypted every jpg, doc, and excel file they had. Luckily they had offsite backup so restoring wasn't a problem but this is indeed a bad one and the only way to get your data back if no backups exist after getting it is to pay the $300...bastards.

[Juan Pablo de Marco]

http://readwrite.com/2013/11/08/cryp...on2B02KCEEGNAV

or search on cryptoblocker for mor info:

OR make the switch to UBUNTU Linux....get rid of WINDOWS...and no more viruses. only losers still use WINDOWS.

[Tex9401]

http://blog.emsisoft.com/2013/09/10/...mware-variant/

http://www.pandasecurity.com/uk/home...t/card?id=1675

This info has been out since the end of the Sept. There is 65% chance that even if you paid them that you would not get the code key.

[Lazrback]

Good info CG,, but it isn't really a hobby alert,, moved here.

[OldGrump]

Originally Posted by Juan Pablo de Marco

http://readwrite.com/2013/11/08/cryp...on2B02KCEEGNAV

or search on cryptoblocker for mor info:

OR make the switch to UBUNTU Linux....get rid of WINDOWS...and no more viruses. only losers still use WINDOWS.

JPdM, I have a friend with the same attitude towards Windows. The problem is some programs that are necessary to function (ie: tax filing) do not play well with Linux.

You general opinion is correct. Windows sucks. Windows 8 sucks worse than all the B&G's on this board. I'm in the middle of moving it to a virtual drive so I can roll back to Win 7. I keep hoping my Linux machine will someday be able to fill in all the gaps.

Until then, we are stuck with the best of the worst.

Thanks to the OP for the heads up. The advice not to open any attachments you aren't expecting is the best. You even have to be careful that one from a friend fit his/her writing style lest it be the result of a hacked account. Those file extensions are the most common shared (except for *.exe, which is always a no-no via email).

[phildo]

Pull the plug on your computer during boot cycle. On reboot ask it to repair Microlimp by using a restore date prior to the infection. Adios. Keep your money, that shit's a scam anyway. Stay off of porn sites you don't know, like the one's you'll get kicked to by a thumbnail "tube".

Pull all your data off of the Windows8 machine, format the drive and install 7. All you need to migrate is your data, you don't need to move the whole OS to another drive, virtual or otherwise, unless you have programs installed that for some reason you can't reinstall on the 7 load.

There are limitations on every platform. Pick one that works for YOU, not the guy down the street. Operating systems are like pussy: tight, wet, loose, beautiful, utilitarian, thick, thin, dry, glossy...

The problem with Linux is like the problem with a disease that affects 1 in 200 million people. Nobody is going to spend much time writing drivers to try and cure it. You can give Microlimp the finger all you want, but you're about 8 years out for smart, safe thin clients to be the soup of the day. And who knows if any recognizable names from today will even be players then.

I can do my job on an ipad. With MS Office file support and eccie chat. Don't tell me it can't be done. Open you own mind to the possiblities, not what you've "heard".

[skirtchaser79411]

I have got this one last week but i had everything i want to keep backed up on a cloud and all it cost me 3 hours reformating the hard drive

[Look-at-Stupid]

you're a sucker if you sent them any money, they have no way to access your computer, period. All it is, is a virus that gets in the way, it does not do anything but make threats d impede production

[yewhew]

A slight digression but along the computer line, does anyone have a computer repair service they can recommend? Geek squad obviously hires the bottom of the barrel. I am having a couple issues with my laptop, suspect a virus although my internal virus scan indicates clean, and so does a scan I ran through the internet. I have an outlook issue or two, and at start up when I run disk scan it passes a quick message about one of my disks needing to be checked for consistency. I am on Windows 7. This is all beyond my limp IT knowledge.

[Lust4xxxLife]

Originally Posted by Juan Pablo de Marco

...

OR make the switch to UBUNTU Linux....get rid of WINDOWS...and no more viruses. only losers still use WINDOWS.

True, but nobody in their right mind would use Linux as a desktop OS.

[phildo]

Originally Posted by yewhew

A slight digression but along the computer line, does anyone have a computer repair service they can recommend? Geek squad obviously hires the bottom of the barrel. I am having a couple issues with my laptop, suspect a virus although my internal virus scan indicates clean, and so does a scan I ran through the internet. I have an outlook issue or two, and at start up when I run disk scan it passes a quick message about one of my disks needing to be checked for consistency. I am on Windows 7. This is all beyond my limp IT knowledge.

I fought this for months on a laptop, read enough memory scan junk on the 'net to last me a lifetime, ran tests until I was crazy, finally gave up, replaced the RAM and it was fine. No more check disk or memory errors or any of that. Also, with Outlook, you can run several of MS's robo-mechanics / problem solvers from their site or just back up your mail and do a reinstall.

[Juan Pablo de Marco]

Originally Posted by Lust4xxxLife

True, but nobody in their right mind would use Linux as a desktop OS.

i have used it (Ubuntu) exclusively as my desktop OS for 3-4 years. as have almost all of the other software test engineers i work with. and we are very happy with it.

[Juan Pablo de Marco]

and...linux IS susceptible to this thing, but not in virus form. there are some websites that will direct you to a website stating you have been reported to authorities for blah blah blah and demanding you pay a fine. try and close that tab or the browser and you cannot. solution is to open a command shell, do a ps -ef and find the pid (process id) of the browser you are using and kill it (kill -9). problem is if your browser keeps your history, restarting it will attempt to reconnect to the sites you had open before and problem will persist. solution is to edit your preferences and delete all you cookies, browsing history etc. then kill the pid and restart.

once you do this no virus or anything on your computer.

maybe same thing can be done from a command shell on windows...but not if it is from an email virus.

[Lust4xxxLife]

Originally Posted by Juan Pablo de Marco

and...linux IS susceptible to this thing, but not in virus form. there are some websites that will direct you to a website stating you have been reported to authorities for blah blah blah and demanding you pay a fine. try and close that tab or the browser and you cannot. solution is to open a command shell, do a ps -ef and find the pid (process id) of the browser you are using and kill it (kill -9). problem is if your browser keeps your history, restarting it will attempt to reconnect to the sites you had open before and problem will persist. solution is to edit your preferences and delete all you cookies, browsing history etc. then kill the pid and restart.

once you do this no virus or anything on your computer.

maybe same thing can be done from a command shell on windows...but not if it is from an email virus.

Same thing can be done from the Apple menu on a Mac... you could also launch a terminal window but no need. Go the Apple menu and pick the 'Force Quit' command and then select the browser app. Done.