Ransomware Hackers provide Customer Service Dept. to Victims

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Yes, believe it or not, ransomware has become such a booming business for thieves, that these cyber thugs even provide bona fide customer service departments to guide their victims!

4DWhen ransomware infects your computer, it holds your files hostage; you can’t access them—until you pay the hacker (usually in bitcoins). Once paid, the crook will give you a decryption “key.” Sometimes the fee will go up if you don’t pay by a deadline. Fees may a few to hundred to several hundred dollars to way more for big businesses.

Thieves typically include instructions on how to pay up, and they mean business, sometimes being “nice” enough to offer alternatives to the tedious bitcoin process. They may even free one file at no cost just to show you they’re true to their word.

As the ransomware business flourished, particularly Cryptolocker and CryptoWall, hackers began adding support pages on their sites to victims.

An article at businessinsider.com mentions that one victim was able to negotiate a cheaper ransom payment.

Why would thieves support victims?

  • It raises the percentages of payments made; the easier the process, the more likely the victim will pay. The businessinsider.com article quotes one ransomware developer as stating, “I tried to be as [much of] a gentleman thief as my position allowed me to be.”
  • It makes sense: If victims are clueless about obtaining bitcoins and are seeking answers, why wouldn’t the crook provide help?

Perhaps the most compelling reason why bad hackers would want to help their victims is to get the word out that if victims pay the ransom, they WILL get their decryption key to unlock their encrypted files.

This reputation puts the idea into the heads of victims to “trust” the cyberthief. Otherwise, if ransomware developers don’t give the key to paying victims, then word will spread that it’s useless to pay the ransom. This is not good for the profit-seeking hacker.

These crooks want everyone to know that payment begets the key. What better way to establish this reliability than to provide “customer” support on websites and also via call centers where victims can talk to live people?

Apparently, at least one ransomware developer has a call center where victims can phone in and get guidance on how to get back their files.

Prevent ransomware by keeping your devices update with the latest OS, antivirus, updated browser, and back up your data both locally and in the cloud.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to TheBestCompanys.com discussing  identity theft prevention.

Ransomware as a Service: A new threat to businesses everywhere

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Cyber criminals have been attempting to extort money from individuals and companies for many years, and the latest attempt to take advantage of others is by using Ransomware as a Service, or RaaS.

4DA ransomware virus infects a computer when a user clicks a link and unknowingly download a malicious file. The ransomware virus then encrypts the computer’s files and promises to render them useless unless the victim pays a ransom. The cost varies greatly and groups sending these out can bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in profits.

RaaS makes it even easier for criminals to deploy ransomware viruses. All they have to choose a ransomware virus, set a ransom amount and deadline, and then trick their victims into downloading it onto their computer.

What to do if systems become infected with ransomware

If you have been attacked with ransomware, consider the following:

  • Tell the hacker you will pay, but that you need time to get the cash.
  • Gather all correspondence from the hacker.
  • Tell the webhosting provider, maybe call the cops, but expect little. If there is a major loss, reach out to the FBI, just know they might not see it as serious.
  • Delete all infected files and download clean versions from your backup system. Remember: If you have a quality backup system in place, you won’t need to pay the ransom.

Handling computer viruses

Ransomware isn’t the only type of virus to be on the lookout for. Symptoms of other types of virus infections include programs opening up on their own and a slow computer. Some viruses may send messages from your email account without you knowing about it. Here are some more ways to protect yourself from ransomware and other computer viruses:

  • Use both firewall and anti-virus software
  • Do not open attachments, links or programs from an email, including those from people you know, until you check for viruses.
  • Do not use public Wi-Fi connections unless on a virtual private network or using encryption software.
  • Keep security software current, use administrative rights and use a firewall.
  • Use the most recent version of your operating system and browser.
  • Back up all data.
  • Train employees on security measures for all devices.

How can you mitigate insider threats? Tune into the Carbonite webinar that I’ll be hosting live on Wednesday, March 15th at 11 am ET, to learn how. Register here: http://go.carbonite.com/security-threat/blog.

Consultant Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft prevention. Learn more about Carbonite’s cloud and hybrid backup solutions for small and midsize businesses. Disclosures.

Ransomware Scammers get the Big Bucks

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It sounds almost like science fiction, even in this cyber age: A thief hacks into your computer and encrypts your files, meaning, scrambles the information so you can’t make sense of any of it. He demands you pay him a big fat payment to “unlock” the encryption or to give you the “key,” which is contained on the thief’s remote server.

10DYou are being held ransom. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has sent out a warning to both the common Internet user and businesspeople about this ransomware, says an article on arstechnica.com.

And if you think this is one helluva dirty trick, it can be worse: The thief gets your payment, but you don’t get the cyber key.

The article says that the biggest ransomware threat is the CryptoWall. The FBI’s IC3 has received reports from 992 victims of this ransomware, but it’s estimated that there are many more victims who have not notified the IC3 (would you or your friends necessarily know to do this?) and instead just paid the ransom—or didn’t, resigning to never being able to access their files again.

In addition to the ransom cost, there are also the costs associated with cleaning up the mess, and the fallout especially hits businesses, because they suffer lost productivity and having to pay IT services.

The arstechnica.com article quotes Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4, a security training company: “CryptoWall 3.0 is the most advanced crypto-ransom malware at the moment.”

According to the IC3, there are $18 million in losses associated with CryptoWall, but remember, that’s only what has been reported. Many businesses do not notify the FBI of breaches: the ransom payment as well as the heavy cost of impaired productivity.

How does an individual or business avoid getting sucked into this trap? The FBI offers the following recommendations:

  • Back up all of your data on a regular basis.
  • Protect all of your devices with antivirus software and a firewall—from reputable companies.
  • Keep your security software updated.
  • Clicking on a malicious website could download ransomware; therefore, you should enable pop-up blockers that will prevent these dangerous clicks.
  • Do not visit suspicious websites.
  • Avoid clicking on links inside e-mails.
  • Protect your WiFi connection. A criminal can insert a virus on your device while on unencrypted WiFi. Use a VPN, a virtual private network encrypts your data over free WiFi.
  • Avoid opening attachments that come from strangers or people for whom it would be out of character for them to send you an attachment or who’d have absolutely no reason to. This includes the IRS, UPS, Microsoft, Walmart, etc.
  • CryptoWall can still make its way into your device if you’ve clicked on a malicious ad that’s on a legitimate website, says the arstechnica.com article. Here is where an updated antivirus software program would come into play to detect the malware.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

The Impact of Ransomware on Small Businesses

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What’s going on this September? National Preparedness Month. This will be the time to increase your awareness of the safety of your business, family, pets and community. During disasters, communication is key. National Preparedness Month concludes on September 30 with the National PrepareAthon! Day.

celebrateIt would be like a science fiction movie: You go to pull up the file detailing the records of your last quarter’s profit and loss statement, and instead you get a flashing notice: “Your computer has been compromised! To see your file, you must pay money!”

This is called ransomware: a type of malware sent by criminal hackers. Welcome to the world of cybercrime. In fact, ransomware can prevent you from doing anything on your computer.

Where does this ransomware come from? Have you clicked a link inside an e-mail lately? Maybe the e-mail’s subject line really grabbed your attention, something like: “Your FedEx shipment has been delayed” or “Your Account Needs Updating.”

Maybe you opened an attachment that you weren’t expecting. Maybe you were lured to a website (“Dash Cam Records Cyclist Cut in Half by Car”) that downloaded the virus. Other common ways crooks trick you into downloading ransomware include:

  • Hackers impersonate law enforcement; claim you downloaded illegal material; demand a fine for your “violation.”
  • You receive a message that your Windows installation requires activation because it’s counterfeit.
  • Or, the message says your security software isn’t working.

What should you do?

  • Never pay the ransom, even if you’re rich. Paying up doesn’t guarantee you’ll regain access. Are you kidding?
  • Double check that all of the newly encrypted (and utterly useless) files are backed up, wipe your disk drive and restore the data.
  • Wait a minute—your files weren’t backed up?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of hacking.

  • Don’t open links or attachments you’re not expecting! This includes from senders you know or companies you patronize.
  • Install an extension on your browser that detects malicious websites.
  • Use a firewall and security software and keep it updated.
  • Regularly back up data, every day ideally.

Needless to say, ransomware attacks occur to businesses. Small companies are particularly vulnerable because they lack the funds to implement strong security. Attacks on businesses usually originate overseas and are more sophisticated than attacks on the common Internet user at home or at the coffee house.

And just like the common user, the business should never pay the ransom, because this will only prolong the situation.

  • Make the criminal think you’re going to pay. Tell them you need time to prepare the fee.
  • Build your defense by gathering all the correspondence.
  • Present this to your webhosting provider, not the police.
  • The webhoster will get to work on this.
  • If the loss is extensive, present the correspondence to the FBI.
  • If the attack is in virus form, you’re finished.

The prevention tactics above apply to businesses and really, everyone. Employees should be rigorously trained in how “phishing” e-mails work and other tricks that cyber thieves use. To learn more about preparing your small business against viruses like ransomware, download Carbonite’s e-book, “5 Things Small Businesses Need to Know about Disaster Recovery.”

#1 Best Selling Author Robert Siciliano CSP, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com is a United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Staff Officer of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security whose motto is Semper Paratus (Always Ready). He is a four time Boston Marathoner, Private Investigator and is fiercely committed to informing, educating, and empowering people so they can be protected from violence and crime in the physical and virtual worlds. As a Certified Speaking Professional his “tell it like it is” style is sought after by major media outlets, executives in the C-Suite of leading corporations, meeting planners, and community leaders. Disclosures