Still be on the watch out for aggressive ransomware
Whilst the threat of Cryptolocker faces the beginning of the end, the threat of aggressive encrypting ransomware is only just beginning.
Last month police operations across the globe resulted in many servers that the popular malware Cryptolocker relied on to function correctly being seized, limiting the capabilities of the prolific malware strain.
But the huge success of Cryptolocker, which managed to make its creators millions of dollars from victims all across the world, has inevitably spawned a number of copycat threats that are becoming more popular as 2014 wears on.
Variants of ransomware such as CryptoWall and CryptoDefense, which are close cousins to the original Cryptolocker, are popping up on the Internet that are able to successfully encrypt a user’s data and force them to pay a ransom to recover the data.
Other variants have been known to target specific platforms such as Apple iPhones and Android smartphones.
And given its success, it is likely that this type of malware threat will be with us for some time, meaning it is still as important as ever that you have adequate antivirus software installed on your computer at all times and you keep yourself protected from Internet threats at all times.
Our 4 critical steps to avoiding malware like ransomware are
– Keep yourself educated
– Keep yourself protected
– Keep your software up-to-date
– Keep your data backed up and safe
Our editor’s choice antivirus software helps to keep your computer secure from these emerging ransomware threats too. For more information on that click here.
Continued below...
Thanks for reading, we hope this article helped, but before you leave us for greener pastures, please help us out.
We're hoping to be totally ad-free by 2025 - after all, no one likes online adverts, and all they do is get in the way and slow everything down. But of course we still have fees and costs to pay, so please, please consider becoming a Facebook supporter! It costs only 0.99p (~$1.30) a month (you can stop at any time) and ensures we can still keep posting Cybersecurity themed content to help keep our communities safe and scam-free. You can subscribe here
Remember, we're active on social media - so follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram and X