CryptoLocker: Bad BAD virus to ger.

[dunndw]

CryptoLocker... remember that name. In a sea of fake FBI ransomware infections this one stands out. It actually does encrypt your files with high level RSA encryption. Antivirus/Antimalware doesn't catch it until AFTER it's delivered it's payload and encrypted your local AND network shares. Bad bad ju ju with this one. The latest variant wants $300.00 to unencrypt your files. DO NOT CLICK ON ANYTHING YOU CANT VERIFY INDEPENDANTLY. From what I've found the only two choices are 1. Pay the cyber kidnappers or 2. lose your files. They evidently do unencrypt your files, but whos to say they won't re-encrypt down the road for more money. Make sure you have GOOD BACKUPS. External hard drives not connected to your PC seem to make the most sense. Carbonite will backup the encrypted files.

So far there is NO WAY to unencrypt the files. Removing the virus is easy...after the timer counts down it will even remove itself. The ONLY way to insure decryption of the effected files is to pay the ransom.

 

 

For the geeks out there that want to read...

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/506924/cryptolocker-hijack-program/page-40?hl=%2Bcryptolocker#entry3178372

 

[Sam1]

buy a mac and you don't have to worry about 99.995% of these issues.

 

or

 

you can go through a lengthy process to get your files back, and then get smacked with a variant that is released days after you get everything fixed.  As for your files, I don't recommend carbonite, we use www.crashplan.com because they retain every version of a file that is backed up example:

 

have photo1.jpg & document1.docx

get hit with Crilock on October 1 and it encrypts photo1.jpg & document1.docx

crashplan backs up the two files online because they've changed.

download the two files from the September 30th backup in crashplan and viola.