Number: IRCNE2015102668
Date: 2015/10/25
According to “computerworld”, just one cybercriminal group may be collecting the revenue from Cryptowall 3.0, a malicious program that infects computers, encrypts files and demands a ransom, according to a new study released on Thursday.
The finding comes from the Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA), an industry group formed last year to study emerging threats, with members including Intel Security, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet and Symantec.
Cryptowall is among several families of "ransomware" that have posed a growing danger to businesses and consumers. If a computer is infected, its files are scrambled with strong encryption.
There is little recourse for those affected. The best defense is to ensure files are backed up and that the backup can't be reached by the attackers.
CTA studied Cryptowall 3.0, the latest version of the malware, which appeared earlier this year. Victims are instructed to pay in bitcoin and are supplied with an address for the bitcoin wallet controlled by the attackers.
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