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Warning - New Malware CyrptoLocker on the loose.

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
A professional can remove the virus, but not unlock the files. Then it becomes your decision -- pay the ransom, or live without everything that's locked. That's why computer experts recommend having multiple backups of your data. The best protection, never click links or open attachments in emails. If it looks suspicious delete it. Also, keep you antivirus updated. "Immediately you want to pull the plug on the computer, that is how you are going to protect your data from further damage," Strickler says.

http://www.nbc12.com/story/24022688/on-your-side-alert-cryptolocker-warning
 

FBrinson

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2013
Messages
298
Location
Henrico, VA
A professional can remove the virus, but not unlock the files. Then it becomes your decision -- pay the ransom, or live without everything that's locked. That's why computer experts recommend having multiple backups of your data. The best protection, never click links or open attachments in emails. If it looks suspicious delete it. Also, keep you antivirus updated. "Immediately you want to pull the plug on the computer, that is how you are going to protect your data from further damage," Strickler says.

http://www.nbc12.com/story/24022688/on-your-side-alert-cryptolocker-warning

Switch to Linux. Don't pay the crook hackers or crook OS sellers.
 

Repeater

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
2,498
Location
Richmond, Virginia, USA
A professional can remove the virus, but not unlock the files. Then it becomes your decision -- pay the ransom, or live without everything that's locked. That's why computer experts recommend having multiple backups of your data. The best protection, never click links or open attachments in emails. If it looks suspicious delete it. Also, keep you antivirus updated. "Immediately you want to pull the plug on the computer, that is how you are going to protect your data from further damage," Strickler says.

http://www.nbc12.com/story/24022688/on-your-side-alert-cryptolocker-warning

Protect your hard drive by freezing it in place. Many library computers use Deep-Freeze by Faronics.
 

b0neZ

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Messages
505
Location
Davis County, Utah
It's a half-measure. I did use a Live copy to decide on my distro.

My challenge was to not dual-boot for back-sliding back into Windoze. No half-measures. Forty years is a hard habit to break.

Agreed on the Half-Measure. I have several GB of distros hanging around. Settled on Kali in a dual-boot with 7 Pro, only because I'm a longtime fan of Backtrack.

Forty years?!? I know you remember the following, then:

10 print "hello"
20 goto 10

What did you first put fingers on? Commodore PET for me.
 

FBrinson

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2013
Messages
298
Location
Henrico, VA
These malware programs can be really nasty and CryptoLocker appears especially heinous. I had to buy my wife a new computer last year due to a malware attack rendering her computer useless. It started out just blocking websites and redirecting you to a website advertising something called Windows Antivirus 20xx (some date). Eventually the malware blocked all internet connections and started randomly deleting files until the computer just wouldn't run anymore. I reformatted her hard drive and installed Ubuntu Linux. Everything worked great but she decided she wanted to start gaming again (yes, my wife is a gamer!) So, for Christmas she got a nice computer with the crappy Win 8 OS.

I only use Windows when editing photos and videos and stay off any networks to avoid these hackers. My desktop and my studio computers run Ubuntu and Ubuntu Studio.

If you mainly use your computer for websurfing, basic photo categorizing and editing, home office use, and basic computing I would look into switching to Linux. If you use your computer for more specialized reasons such as video, audio, or graphic editing, just get a mac if you don't mind spending a small fortune. You can use linux instead of a mac but there is a learning curve involved.

Just my unsolicited 2 cents.
 

FBrinson

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2013
Messages
298
Location
Henrico, VA
Agreed on the Half-Measure. I have several GB of distros hanging around. Settled on Kali in a dual-boot with 7 Pro, only because I'm a longtime fan of Backtrack.

Forty years?!? I know you remember the following, then:

10 print "hello"
20 goto 10

What did you first put fingers on? Commodore PET for me.

10 Input "What is your name?", N$
20 Print "Hello, "; N$
30 Input "Press any key", K$
40 Print "LOL"
50 Goto 40

Learned programming on an Atari 400, TRS-80, and Apple IIe :D
 
Last edited:

half_life1052

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Messages
270
Location
Austin, TX
At work

I have handled the ransomware threat at work in the following way. I setup a NAS (Freenas) and connected it to the domain. I provided a ZFS backed storage volume for user home directories. I also provided similar volumes for all working files within the company. ZFS has a "time machine" functionality. I have setup that functionality and configured it to snapshot all drives once per hour the entire working day. I hold these snapshots for 2 weeks.

In the event that we are hit by cryptolocker or anything vaguely similar, I would just step on the offending computer(s) and then restore a snapshot from just before the infection.

If my users didn't store their stuff where they were supposed to, that is their tough luck and I hope it isn't too painful re-creating the files.

We are heavilly invested in FOSS with the majority of our servers (virtual machines) running some form of linux or freebsd. Even the virtualization product is linux based rather than WINXXX based (Proxmox).

My best advice is to offload your data from the machine that provides you compute services and then keep it protected via backup or similar. If you are somewhat computer savvy I would suggest running virtualbox and a copy of your favorite OS under that to use for surfing and email etc.
 
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