Are you in danger of being cryptolocked by this Virus?
Many of you may have already heard of the CryptoLocker virus and may have some concerns about protecting your systems. Here are some of the details of this threat.
Systems Affected are:
Microsoft Windows systems running Windows 7, Vista, and XP operating systems
Overview:
This malware is part of a campaign that surfaced in 2013 and is associated with an increasing number of ransomware (demanding payment to release a hold on your computer and its files) infections. CryptoLocker is a new variant of ransomware that restricts access to infected computers and demands that the victim provide a payment to the attackers in order to decrypt and recover their files. As of this time, the primary means of infection appears to be phishing (false or fraudulent impersonation via URL addresses) emails containing malicious attachments.
Detailed Description:
CryptoLocker appears to have been spreading through fake emails designed to mimic the look of legitimate businesses and through phony FedEx and UPS tracking notices. In addition, there have been reports that some victims saw the malware appear following after a previous infection from one of several other hacker communication botnets that are frequently used by the cyber-criminal underground.
Impact Details:
This malware has the ability to find and encrypt files located within shared network drives, USB drives, external hard drives, network file shares and even some cloud storage drives. If one computer on a network becomes infected, the mapped network drives could also become infected. CryptoLocker then connects to the attackers’ command and control (C2) server to deposit an asymmetric private encryption key, that was used for encryption and could be used for decryption, out of the victim’s reach.
The victims files are encrypted using this asymmetric encryption. This type of encryption uses two different keys for encrypting and decrypting messages. Asymmetric encryption is a more secure form of encryption as only one party is aware of the private key, while both sides know the public key.
While victims are told they have three days to pay the attacker through a third-party payment method (MoneyPak, Bitcoin), Some victims have claimed online that they paid the attackers and did not receive the promised decryption key. Professionals and law enforcement encourage users and administrators experiencing a ransomware infection NOT to respond to extortion attempts by attempting payment, but instead, report the incident to the FBI at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
Prevention:
Professional recommendations are for users and administrators take the following preventative measures to protect their computer networks from a CryptoLocker infection:
- Do not follow unsolicited web links in email messages or submit any information to web pages in inks
- Use caution when opening email attachments.
- Maintain up-to-date anti-virus software
- Perform regular backups of all systems to limit the impact of data and/or system loss
- Apply changes to your Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems and Firewall’s to detect any known malicious activity
- Secure open-share drives by only allowing connections from authorized users
- Keep your operating system and software up-to-date with the latest patches
Mitigation:
Suggested mitigation steps that users and administrators can implement if you believe your computer
has been infected with CryptoLocker malware are:
- Immediately disconnect the infected system from the wireless or wired network. This may prevent the malware from further encrypting any more files on the network.
- Users who are infected with the malware should first consult with a reputable security expert, such as CCS Retail Systems Support Department to assist in removing the malware.
- Users who are infected should change all passwords AFTER the malware has been removed from their system.
– John