Re: AUGD: Ransomware from Augd Digest, Vol 12, Issue 62
Re: AUGD: Ransomware from Augd Digest, Vol 12, Issue 62
- Subject: Re: AUGD: Ransomware from Augd Digest, Vol 12, Issue 62
- From: "Randy B. Singer" <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 04 Nov 2015 19:57:06 -0800
On Nov 2, 2015, at 12:00 PM, email@hidden wrote:
> One of the worst kinds of malware will encrypt or otherwise lock all of your files and threaten to throw away the key unless you pay the hackers off. These programs are called ransomware and they help computer hackers steal millions of dollars worldwide.
There is no malware, for either the Macintosh or iOS, that will actually encrypt or otherwise lock your data. There is Malware for Windows that will do this (e.g. Cryptolocker), but again, not for the Macintosh or iOS.
(There was a legitimate problem for iPhone users in Australia where their iCloud accounts were hacked and their user ID was stolen to allow the bad guys to use Find My iPhone to lock their phones and ask for a ransom to unlock it.
<http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/05/your-iphone-has-been-taken-hostage-pay-100-ransom-to-get-it-back/>
Those hackers were found and jailed, so this is not a continuing problem:
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/09/apple-icloud-ransomware-russia> )
There *is* a scam, some folks call it "scareware" that tries to fool you into believing that your Mac or iOS device has had its data encrypted, but in actuality if you encounter this scam, your data is perfectly fine, no malware of any kind has been downloaded to your computer, and you can easily escape this very scary situation.
Don't *EVER* call a purported ransomer, and don't ever pay them any money. It is entirely unnecessary, and it is also unlikely to help.
If you encounter this situation on a Macintosh, simply force-quit Safari, then re-launch Safari with the Shift key held down to keep it from opening the same infected Web site.
If you encounter this situation on an iOS device (iPhone or iPad), put your device in Airplane Mode.
See:
Scary Internet Scam Becoming Disturbingly Common
http://tidbits.com/article/15777
iPhone iPod-Touch Scam
http://www.glodark.com/iPhone_scam.htm
___________________________________________
Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)
Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html
___________________________________________
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