Tag: Ransomware

13th Nov 2017

The economies worldwide are increasingly progressing towards digitalization with large number of business organizations marking their online presence. Everything and almost anything is there on the web which had made businesses more prone to cyber security threats. No industry seems to be immune, which is clearly evident in reports of Kaspersky Lab that states that every 40 seconds a company is hit by a ransomware.

Bad Rabbit is the latest of all and has hit over 200 organizations and consumers all across Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey as well as some parts of Europe. It started off on October 24 and has mainly targeted news and media websites. However, the real name of bad rabbit is Diskcoder.d and the malware is quite similar to Petya which was caused by Diskcoder.c.

How Does It Spread –

The malware enters the user’s network when the user installs Adobe Flash Player from a website that is hacked. Soon after the fake flash installer corrupted with malicious malware is run on the system and all files are encrypted.
A ransom note then appears on their screens and the users are asked to pay 0.05 bitcoins within 41 hours to get the decryption key. If the payment is not made on time, then the ransom amount increases and the user is forced to pay more.

Also the hackers behind Bad Rabbit seem to have great interest in Games Of Thrones as one can find trails of Viserion, Rhaegal, Drogon and the other characters based on the servies in the code. Also they select their targets and infect only intended systems.

How To Protect Yourself –

Create Shadow Copies – It is possible to recover the files if the shadow copies exist, as the malware does not delete or encrypt them. The files can be recovered through 3rd party utilities or by using Standard Windows Mechanism.
Password Protection – Do not use too simple usernames and passwords as they pose a serious threat to cyber security.
Software – Ensure that you have Windows Security Bulletins installed on your system.
File Extension – To save themselves from the malware users must block the execution of the file ‘c: \ windows \ infpub.dat, C: \ Windows \ cscc.dat.’
Anti-Virus – Install Anti- virus that can protect you against such malevolent malwares.
Back Ups – It is important to maintain back-up of all your important files which can be kept either offline or online. Also make sure that you update your systems every now and then.
Download From Trusted Sources – Do not execute or download any updates from an untrusted source. Often the ransomware is disguised as an Adobe Flash update but is actually a malware which is injected in the user’s system when once it is downloaded.
Restrict User Privileges – Grant minimum user privileges and give administrator rights to trusted employees only.
It is advisable to take necessary preventive steps well in advance to avoid such cyber-attacks at the first place.

We at Centex Technologies, provide complete IT Infrastructure Security Solutions to Corporates. For details, call Us at (254) 213-4740 .

Locky Ransomware: How It Infects Systems And How To Stay Safe From This Virus

By centexitguy

On October 12, 2017

In Security

12th Oct 2017

Albert Einstein’s quote, “Our Technology has surpassed our humanity” truly represents the repugnant condition of our society today with cyber-attacks taking a toll on the entire world. Each day hackers are coming up with sophisticated technologies and malwares to counterfeit the security solutions being launched by the companies. A recent malevolent program that has hit the cyber industry is Locky ransomware that literally LOCKS away your files, until you pay ransom to decrypt them. It came forth in February 2016 and has been active since then.

How It Infects Systems

Usually sent through an email containing infected word or excel attachments, it is a malware that affects almost all versions of Windows. The malicious email contains a balderdash word document in encrypted form. Further the user is asked to enable macros to encode the incorrect data and that is when the real trouble starts.

Then actual encryption Trojan is downloaded with an intent to encrypt all the targeted files using AES encryption algorithm. All the filenames are converted into .locky file extension. These files cannot be operated by normal programs when once enciphered. The user is then sent ransom notes demanding 0.5 – 1 bitcoins in return of a decryption key.

Email: The Most Preferred Channel

Locky malware is generally sent via a word document attached in an email because it is the easiest way to trap and dupe the users. AppRiver, email and web security experts in one of their reports about it quoted, “In the past 24 hours we have seen over 23 million messages sent in this attack, making it one of the largest malware campaigns that we have seen in the latter half of 2017.”

How To Stay Safe From This Ransomware –

Regular Backups – The best way to safeguard yourself is to take regular backups either online or offline. Keep your backup data in encrypted form to ensure that it does not fall into wrong hands.
Be Wary About Suspicious Attachments – If you are sent an unusual email from an unauthorized sender make sure you do not open it. Attackers can masquerade and send you unsolicited emails containing malware. Beware of files with double extensions ending with .exe as there are higher chances of it containing virus.
Do Not Enable Macros – Ransomware is usually sent to the user in the attached encrypted file, which persuade them to enable macros resulting in files bring encrypted by locky. Make sure you do not enable macros for emails send by an unknown source. Also permanently keep the default Microsoft macros disabled.
Update Your System – Regularly updating and patching your system and applications can help you to prevent the attack to some extent.
Microsoft Office Viewers – Install the app on your system, as it allows you to view what documents look like without actually opening them.

It is important to adopt all security measures well in advance and educate yourself and your employees about Locky ransomware attack to prevent it in the first instance.

For more tips on preventing Locky Ransomware, feel free to contact Centex Technologies at (855) 375 – 9654.

Ransomware – The Malware That’s On The Rise

By centexitguy

On December 16, 2015

In Security

December 16, 2015

Ransomware is a type of malware that uses a malicious software code to lock a user’s computer and allows access only after certain ‘ransom’ fee is paid. It may infect the system in the form of a Trojan horse or worm by exploiting a security flaw. Ransomware usually spreads through email attachments, spam website links or infected software applications. Once executed in a computer, the malware can either lock the entire system or encrypt the stored data with a password.

Types Of Ransomware

Cryptowall: This ransomware is mainly spread through spam emails that contain a malware infected attachment claiming to be an important message. Once the user opens the attachment, the malware is executed and the device gets locked.
FBI Ransomware: It is installed on a user’s computer once he visits a website with malicious script. When the system is infected, it displays a message, purported to be from FBI, that the computer has been blocked and the user needs to pay a fee to restore his data.
Power Worm: This is probably the most perilous type of ransomware in which the victim’s data is not only encrypted but the key to restore the information is also destroyed. In such a malware attack, the only option to get the data is to restore it from back-up.
Chimera: The Chimera malware works by threatening to post the victim’s files on the internet if he does not pay the demanded ransom. In such situations, even if a user has a back-up of the files, he might get convinced to pay the fine just to prevent the files from being leaked.

Defending Against Ransomware

Never open embedded URLs or attachments in emails from an unknown source.
Download and constantly update anti-virus and firewall definitions.
Maintain a backup of your files on an external hard drive or online.
Enable your popup blocker to avoid accidentally clicking on a spam advertizement.
Update all the software on your computer to fix any open security vulnerability.
Enable the option to ‘Show file extensions’ in your systems settings. This will make it easier to detect malicious files. Make sure you do not open any file with an unknown extension.
If you notice malicious software running or view a ransom message on your computer, disconnect the internet immediately to avoid transmitting your data to the cybercriminals.

Taking precautions to protect your information and staying cautious are the best counter measures to avoid being infected by Ransomware.

Web Development Austin, SEO Austin, Austin Search Engine Marketing, Internet Marketing Austin, Web Design Austin, Roundrock Web Design, IT Support Central Texas, Social Media Central Texas

Tag: Ransomware

Bad Rabbit: How To Protect Yourself From The Ransomware Attack

Locky Ransomware: How It Infects Systems And How To Stay Safe From This Virus

Ransomware – The Malware That’s On The Rise