Terrifying new Ransomware

This is here some scary sh%t.
I know I sound like this guy

the-sky-is-falling-2

about backing up your entire systems to ‘offline/removable’ media but I’ll keep on saying it.

This nasty is spreading fast on corporate networks. Scary thing is it still uses social engineering and poor user training/safety methods to launch/install. It usually arrives as an email attached archived zip file with an executable inside that should have been a dead giveaway that this message was malicious and was in no way legitimate. But sadly most people have not been properly educated on computer safety or are just plain lazy and don’t think to look at what they are doing. But once installed it can wreck havoc on a company.

Please develop and use some kind of offline full system backup plan for your personal and especially your business.

Do not think or rely on ‘cloud based’ backup system to protect you from this type of attack. Think about it, your now encrypted files would be uploaded to the cloud and overwrite your original/good ones.

I’ve written so many times about the need for offline backups you can just look through my blog and find more info about that.

Be safe folks!

Windows AND Mac System Security News 04-12-2012

For OSX users:
Apple just released Java for OS X 2012-003, an update to the Java implementation in OS X. The update removes “the most common variants of the Flashback malware.” Check that out here. You should definitely update your Java NOW!

For Windows users.
It’s even scarier again. Trend Micro has found some scary ass Ransomware.

You can and SHOULD read the scary details here.

From TrendMicro’s blog, here is some of the details.

“We have encountered a ransomware unlike other variants that we have seen previously. A typical ransomware encrypts files or restricts user access to the infected system. However, we found that this particular variant infects the Master Boot Record (MBR), preventing the operating system from loading. Based on our analysis, this malware copies the original MBR and overwrites it with its own malicious code. Right after performing this routine, it automatically restarts the system for the infection take effect. When the system restarts, the ransomware displays the following message:

This message prompt informs affected users that the PC is now blocked and that they should pay 920 hryvnia (UAH) via QIWI to a purse number (12 digits) – 380682699268. Once paid,they will receive a code that will unlock the system. This code will supposedly resume operating system to load and remove the infection. This particular variant has the “unlock code” in its body. When the unlock code is used, the MBR routine is removed.

Bottom line PLEASE keep your security software, Operating Systems and Browsers (including and especially browser plug-ins like Java, Flash etc.) up to date and patched.

Peace.