The virus and spyware threat continues unabated in 2014.  The “police” virus which we saw so much last year is now much rarer, however a new, very dangerous threat is on the way. 

This is the “Cryptolocker” virus, which infects your computer, encrypts your MS Office, Open Office, AutoCad and other files, and demands a ransom in order for your files to be released.  The ransom (usually $300) has to be paid within 72 hours, or your data is lost forever.  This is a serious threat, and will encrypt files on all hard disk drives, USB flash drives, and mapped network drives attached to or linked to the infected computer.  Decryption of files is not possible, and we will not be able to recover your data.

So far Cryptolocker spreads in email attachments, and is not detected by most antivirus software, although a new variant was found in December 2013 on P2P (file sharing) sites masquerading as a KeyGen program.  If you are foolish enough to visit such sites, and download illegal software, be prepared for the inevitable consequences.

If you do end up with Cryptolocker on your computer, and don’t have a good, up to date backup, your data is lost. Paying the ransom within the time limit MAY get you the decryption key, but nothing is guaranteed.  We recommend making a habit of storing your files (especially if they are business critical) on at least two media (external hard disk, flash drive, DVD etc) and disconnecting this device as soon as the backup is complete.  We can advise and supply the necessary hardware if you do not already do this.

Don’t open any email attachments you aren’t expecting or are unsure of, and if you do catch this particular virus, turn your computer off and contact us at once.

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