Be Aware of the Newest Ransomware

Posted: March 29, 2016

[caption id="attachment_12658" align="alignright" width="354"] Image from pcworld.com[/caption] Ransomware is a type of malware that restricts access to the infected computer system in some way, and demands that the user pay a ransom to the malware operators to remove the restriction. Ransomware can be disguised as anything, and a new strain is presented as job applications. Protect yourself, and your computer from ransomware - by being diligent about the links you click, files you download, and backing up your registry daily, to avoid falling victim to the crooks. Lucian Constantin, writer for PC World, shares information on a new strain of ransomware. It’s hard enough for non-technical users to deal with ransomware infections: understanding public-key cryptography, connecting to the Tor anonymity network and paying with Bitcoin cryptocurrency. A new malicious program now makes it even more difficult by completely locking victims out of their computers. The new Petya ransomware overwrites the master boot record (MBR) of the affected PCs, leaving their operating systems in an unbootable state, researchers from antivirus firm Trend Micro said in a blog post. The MBR is the code stored in the first sectors of a hard disk drive. It contains information about the disk’s partitions and launches the operating system’s boot loader. Without a proper MBR, the computer doesn’t know which partitions contain an OS and how to start it. Trend Micro researchers say Petya is distributed through spam emails that masquerade as job applications. This suggests that its creators target businesses in particular, with the messages being directed at human resources departments. Read the entire article This Nasty Ransomware Overwrites Your PC's Master Boot Record on PC World.