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Thursday, March 28, 2024

“Ransom” Virus Attacks Global Computer Networks

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The virus falsely purports that the FBI has caught you doing something illegal on your computer and subsequently demands payment to
The virus falsely purports that the FBI has caught you doing something illegal on your computer and subsequently demands payment to
A Swansea, Massachussetts police department was recently struck by a computer virus that encrypted the department’s files and would only decrypt them if a “ransom” was paid. The department paid $750 in Bitcoins, or unregulated  Internet currency, to have their files released by the program. This “ransom” phenomena is occurring both around the nation and around the globe, as computers become infected with a “ransomware,” or “cryptolocker” virus, which freezes your computer screen and demands payment to free it.

The latest variation, according to Fox News, is the “FBI bug.” The virus falsely purports that the FBI has caught you doing something illegal on your computer and subsequently demands payment to “forgive” the “first offense” matter, Fox reports. The most common sites that trigger the bug are adult-oriented sites.

The National Crime Agency of England warns that “tens of millions” of British citizens have been targeted by the fraud. The Daily Telegraph reports that “the spammers are particularly aiming the virus – known as ransomware – at small and medium size businesses. It is disguised as an email alert about suspicious payments or invoices.

Upon opening, the virus ‘freezes’ the computer and the local network and demands a ransom to unlock the machine.

The NCA described the ‘mass spamming’ event as a ‘significant risk,” The Telegraph said.

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