Ransomware is becoming fashionable

Ransomware is a trendy tool used by cybercriminals: this malicious software, once infiltrated in your computer, encrypts some part of your computer hard drive and requests in exchange a ransom to regain access to your stolen data. These cybercriminal programs keep on spreading even though they have been in use for long.

In the second quarter of 2013, McAfee had counted a record of 320,000 new samples for this type of malware. Early September, we had then seen the use of CryptoLocker, a Trojan that spreads via infected e-mails, mainly in English-speaking countries. This was camouflaged in UPS / FedEx or bank messages bills. Once installed, it thus amounted personal data via an RSA key 2048 bits, stored on pirate servers.

Then the user receives a request to transfer a bitcoin amount that equals to about $ 300.

According to Dell SecureWorks, Cryptolocker has infected between 200,000 and 250,000 computers in three months’ time. This would have allowed cybercriminals to recover the tidy amount of $700,000.

According to McAfee, this type of ransomware should continue to grow in 2014. They should also soon appear on mobile devices, which contain a wealth of personal data.

Save your data regularly. Even if a malware encrypts your personal data, this way you can always recover them. Refuse to pay such ransom, because there is no guarantee that cybercriminals you actually transfer the key to decrypt your data. Avoid opening emails coming from people you do not know.

The best solution is to use a VPN. Thanks to a VPN service, your IP address is hidden and cannot be identified. When you connect to the Internet via an unsecured connection through the VPN, you get a strong encryption, which will not allow anyone to know what sites you have visited. And your Internet connection is secure wherever you are. A special VPN also allows you to protect your connections from your smartphone or tablet mobile. Think about it, as ransomware on mobile systems is also becoming fashionable.