FBI: Randsomware Scams On The Rise

The FBI web site offers a piece on the cyber threat of randsomware.

Your computer screen freezes with a pop-up message—supposedly from the FBI or another federal agency—saying that because you violated some sort of federal law your computer will remain locked until you pay a fine. Or you get a pop-up message telling you that your personal files have been encrypted and you have to pay to get the key needed decrypt them.

These scenarios are examples of ransomware scams, which involve a type of malware that infects computers and restricts users’ access to their files or threatens the permanent destruction of their information unless a ransom—anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars—is paid.

Ransomware doesn’t just impact home computers. Businesses, financial institutions, government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations can and have become infected with it as well, resulting in the loss of sensitive or proprietary information, a disruption to regular operations, financial losses incurred to restore systems and files, and/or potential harm to an organization’s reputation.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2015/january/ransomware-on-the-rise/ransomware-on-the-rise?utm_campaign=email-Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=fbi-top-stories&utm_content=395285