Crypto Nightmares!

Like being T-boned in an intersection, you never see it coming and the damage is done so fast you are left with very few options.

The new wave of viruses that has set our networks a-blaze generally referred to as “Crypto 3” category viruses have hit the networks around the globe in a way that unfortunately many of us had predicted we would see in this calendar year, but were really unable to pro-actively stop.

These viruses, formally known as Ransom-ware viruses because of the nature of the attack:

1. A Trojan would be released by executing the payload in an email attachment or clicking a malicious link in an email, or a network user would visit an infected website.

2. The computer would lock up and present an official looking splash screen that would open up immediately when windows was started with no way of escaping or minimizing the window.

3. The window would include an official looking seal and a phone number to call where you would be instructed to give the party a significant amount of money within two weeks or your data would be destroyed.

4. Meanwhile the virus itself had instantly encrypted every shared file that it could access from that workstation, and the data was rendered useless.

5. The company suffering the attack, usually with no choice would pay the ransom and avoid the unthinkable ramifications of losing all of their data.