Computer viruses have been causing trouble since time immemorial. The computer virus developers get almost a perverse sense of pleasure in trying to hack into websites and causing irreparable damages to individuals, corporations, institutions and government agencies.Â
What is the extent of damage that computer viruses can cause?
As per Symantec, victims of cybercrimes lose close to $300 billion every year. More than 150,000 computer viruses find their way to the online world every day and despite the security provided by the antiviruses, close to 150,000 computers worldwide are affected on a daily basis. This has far-reaching effects.
Which is the most dangerous computer virus of 2014?
Many people will give you many names, but that one name that you will hear mentioned most frequently is Cryptolocker. It is a typical modern computer virus that is much more of an annoyance.
How does Cryptolocker operate?
A Trojan Horse ransomware, Cryptolocker targets computers running on Microsoft Windows OS. A CryptoLocker attack can be in different forms and the simplest form could be an email attachment. However, there are now other modes through which this virus is spreading.
When Cryptolocker is activated, it can encrypt some specific files that are stored on mounted and local network drives. It does this using RSA public-key cryptography and the private key is stored on the control server of Cryptolocker. If your system is affected, you will see a message that asks for payment for decrypting your data. The payment mode may be Bitcoin or a pre-paid voucher and it has to be made within a stated deadline. A post which the private key may be deleted. But this is a threat and after the deadline is over, you will then get the offer to decrypt your data using an online service.
Why is Cryptolocker so dangerous?
The problem with Cryptolocker is that you cannot restore your system data even when you remove it from your system. The key is not with you and there is no way you can decrypt the data without it.
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