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During a CBS Interview show " 60 Minutes ", The National Security Agency (NSA) officials claimed that China has developed a BIOS based malware that can remotely destroy any computer. Obviously NSA is struggling to repair its image and in an effort to justify their extensive Surveillance programs, The NSA Director General Keith Alexander and Information Assurance Director Debora Plunkett made a number of claims. During that interview NSA officials said that they had foiled a malware attack that could have taken down the U.S. economy. " One of our analysts actually saw that the nation state had the intention to develop and to deliver, to actually use this capability to destroy computers ," Plunkett said. They have mentioned that this malware was distributed via social engineering and targeted emails, although the NSA director mentioned that their researchers worked with computer manufacturers and able to close the respective vulnerability . " This is t

Ransomware , a t hreat to internet users that continues to grow in popularity with cyber criminals due to its success and monetary potential. This is nothing new and to be expected. I have noticed many discussions on underground hacking forums about " How to create Ransomware like Cryptolocker malware " or " Malware - hacking tool-kit with ransomware features ". Security intelligence provider,  IntelCrawler has discovered  a new ransomware variant called Locker that demands $150 (£92) to restore files that it has encrypted. Like Cryptolocker , this new ransomware is also nasty because infected users are in danger of losing their personal files forever. Locker mainly spreads by drive-by downloads from compromised websites, disguised itself as MP3 files and use system software vulnerabilities to infect the end user. Once it has infected a system, malware first checks the infected machine has an internet connection or not. Then it deletes any original files from t

The introduction of Open AI's ChatGPT was a defining moment for the software industry, touching off a GenAI race with its November 2022 release. SaaS vendors are now rushing to upgrade tools with enhanced productivity capabilities that are driven by generative AI. Among a wide range of uses, GenAI tools make it easier for developers to build software, assist sales teams in mundane email writing, help marketers produce unique content at low cost, and enable teams and creatives to brainstorm new ideas.  Recent significant GenAI product launches include Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot, and Salesforce Einstein GPT. Notably, these GenAI tools from leading SaaS providers are paid enhancements, a clear sign that no SaaS provider will want to miss out on cashing in on the GenAI transformation. Google will soon launch its SGE "Search Generative Experience" platform for premium AI-generated summaries rather than a list of websites.  At this pace, it's just a matter of a short time befo

The  CryptoLocker Malware continues to spread, infected more than 12,000 U.S computers in one week and threatening millions of computers in the UK. Just last week, The UK National Crime Agency urge people afflicted by CryptoLocker not to pay ransom, not least because there is no guarantee that they will even receive an unlock key. Not even Police departments are immune to CryptoLocker. In November second week, Massachusetts' Swansea Police Department paid a 2 Bitcoin ($750 that time) ransom to decrypt images and Word documents encrypted by CryptoLocker ransomware . " It gave us 100 hours to pay and it was literally a timer, " said Police Department. " A big red screen comes up with a timer that says you have 100 hours to pay or your files will be encrypted forever. " Malware usually distributed through spam emails, encrypting the user's files on the infected machine and also the local network it is attached to. However, Police Depar

CryptoLocker is an especially insidious form of Ransomeware malware that was first detected in the wild in September 2013, restricts access to infected computers and requires victims to pay a ransom in order to regain full access. What makes CryptoLocker so bad is the way it encrypts the user data on your hard drive using a strong encryption method. This makes it literally impossible to access your own data without paying the ransom amount to the criminals between $100 and $300 or two  Bitcoins , even now more. Once affected you will be locked out of your computer and unless you pay the ransom amount in 72 hours , the virus will delete the decryption key to decrypt all the files on your PC . The malware lands on PCs the same way other malware does and a few sensible precautions will help minimize the chances of a CrytoLocker attack. Yesterday, we reported that - UK's National Crime Agency has given out an urgent national alert that a mass spamming event target

The UK's National Crime Agency has given out an urgent national alert that a mass spamming event targeting 10 million UK based email users with a piece of malware called CryptoLocker that encrypts your files and then demands a ransom money to restore access. The agency has said that the people who are majorly receiving targeted spam emails that appear to be from banks and other financial institutions. Each email comes with attachments that look like files such as a voicemail, fax, an invoice or details of a suspicious transaction, but is in fact Cryptolocker Ransomware malware that encrypts the user's computer. The public should be aware not to click on any such attachment. On Infected system, The Cryptolocker Malware screen will then display a countdown timer that demands the payment of 2 Bitcoins in ransom, worth around £536, for the decryption key. The NCCU is trying to trace that who is sending the emails. " We are working in cooperation wit

There's an extraordinary malware making rock-n-roll over the Internet and if you are one of the unlucky folks to cross its path, then it could make your computer unusable and you have to pay a few hundred Dollars to retrieve your important data back. We have warned our readers in many  previous articles about a nasty piece of Ransomware malware called ' CryptoLocker ', which is targeting computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system. The CryptoLocker  Ransomware encrypts the files on a victim's computer and issues an ultimatum - Pay up or lose your data . Users who are getting infected with CryptoLocker can see a message informing them that their computer is locked up and their files encrypted. It then asks them to make a ransom payment, which typically ranges between $100 and $700 or 2 Bitcoins , to get their files back. Just yesterday I noticed on a forum that the criminals behind the CryptoLocker malware has recently launched a dedicated  Cry

When you're online, you expose your vulnerability to malicious virus that have been growing in virulence and ferocity over the last few years.  Among home PC users, you may think that you protected from malicious software by Installing an effective, trusted antivirus solution, but most if the Antivirus solutions still it merely finds and removes any known threats. But what if someday you turn on your system and you will find a pop up window with a warning that says " Your system is Locked and Important drives are encrypted and there is no way out unless you will not Pay fine ". This is what Ransomware malware does to your system. Ransomware is the most serious emerging threat in the virtual world of computing devices. Ransomware is a kind of malware which is designed to Block access to the computing system or can lock your system until an amount of money is paid through Internet banking. Ransomware is usually installed when you open a malicious atta

If you're a daily computer user, you're likely aware of all the threats you face every day online in the form of viruses and malware . CryptoLocker , a new ransomware malware, began making the rounds several months ago. This ransomware is particularly nasty because infected users are in danger of losing their personal files forever. Ransomware is designed to extort money from computer users by holding computer files hostage until the computer user pays a ransom fee to get them back. The Cryptolocker hijacker sniffs out your personal files and wraps them with strong encryption before it demands money. Cryptolocker is spread through malicious hyperlinks shared via social media and spam emails, like fake UPS tracking notification emails. The original demanded payments of $100 to decrypt files, but the new and improved version demanding $300 from victims. Apparently, the encryption is created using a unique RSA-2048 public key. The decryption key is located o

What would you do if a European Cybercrime Agency locked your PC until you paid a fine? A new Police Ransomware  family dubbed Trojan : HTML/Browlock by F-secure Antivirus firm, known as Browlock , which spreads by tricking unsuspecting web surfers into believing the police are after them. Ransomware is malware that, when installed on a device, can be locked down from remote locations by cyber criminals . Usually, ransomware appears to be an official warning telling the user that the computer has to be locked because it showed illegal activities and payment is necessary to access files. Ransomware is a global phenomenon, but the criminals have learned to localize and customize their software to make the threat seem scarier so that victims act quickly before they have time to think. Researchers said they are tracking this Malware from a while ago and now crooks behind the malware ate targeting users from some new countries including the United States, Canada and th

Ransomware is a type of malware that attempts to extort money from a computer user by infecting and taking control of the victim's machine, or the files or documents stored on it. This kind of malware has typically been the domain of Windows users, but has made its way to OS X. A new piece of FBI themed Ransomware Malware is targeting Mac OS X and hijacking the user's browser with a notice demanding payment of $300 in order to release control of the application and accusing them of illegally accessing pornography. The address bar shows a URL clearly trying to fool users - fbi.gov.id657546456-3999456674.k8381.com  and the warnings appearing to be from the FBI tell the victim: " you have been viewing or distributing prohibited Pornographic content.. To unlock your computer and to avoid other legal consequences, you are obligated to pay a release fee of $300. " According to Malwarebytes , ransomware page is being pushed onto unsuspecting users browsing re

" Ransomware " may be a term you haven't heard before. This type of criminal malware, which spread around the world on PCs in 2012, encrypts some or all the files on a computer and holds them for ransom and  Cyber thieves have already made millions through such methods. Ransomware is no longer all about computers. It has evolved to now target mobile devices, specifically Androids platform. For a hacker, a pop up message is just one more way to steal money by sending fake alerts and serious warnings that scare a user into making a payment. For example, in the case of PCs, we have encountered malware that encrypts crucial data on a user's hard disk, asking the victim to pay a sum to the attacker in order to recover his/her data. Last year in November at many Hacking Conferences, Security Researcher Mohit Kumar ( @Unix_Root ) already demonstrated one the most sophisticated android malware called " Android Malware Engine ", one of its kind yet

In the constant battle between illegal file sharers (Pirates) and the entertainment industry (Hollywood) supplying the protected digital materials, the pirates have been staying one step ahead, although the industry may soon have a powerful new weapon in their arsenal. A new report released by the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property suggests the use of malware to fight piracy. In a report, the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property proposed many ways piracy can be combated, including infecting alleged violators' computers with malware that can wreck havoc, including and up to destroying the user's computer. It would also give the entertainment industry the advantage of tracking those who commit IP theft on-line no matter their location. Though it sounds reasonable on the surface, it is really a bad idea due to the challenge of correctly identifying a cyber attacker, as well as the unavoidable risk of collateral damage. If you want to read an 8

Police in Spain have arrested a gang of 11 cyber criminals who used ransomware to demand money from thousands of victims in 30 countries using malware known as Reveton . Police arrested six Russians, two Ukrainians and two Georgians in the Costa del Sol. The gang leader, a 27-year-old Russian, was arrested in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in December 2012 on an international arrest warrant. Spanish authorities are seeking his extradition. According to researchers from Trend Micro who worked with the Spanish to track down the group, estimate that this ransomware operation netted the group more than 1 million euros a year. The Trojan was distributed using drive by download techniques, in conjunction with the Black Hole exploit kit and initially the malware was focused on German individuals, but in later months began to target other countries, primarily the USA. Trend Micro, said there were 48 different variations of the virus in use and the malware has been known t

A Gold Coast, Australian medical centre computers are infected with some ransom malware by a group of Russian hackers . The hackers encrypted the practice's patient database, demanding payment of $4000 for the files to be decrypted. " Cyber criminals based mainly throughout Eastern Europe look for rich targets, places with identifying information to extort, " Mr Phair, director of the Centre for Internet Safety and a former investigator with the Australian High-Tech Crime Centre. There have been 11 similar offences in Queensland this year, according to police. David Wood, Miami Family Medical Centre's co-owner said, " We've got all the anti-virus stuff in place - there's no sign of a virus. They literally got in, hijacked the server and then ran their encryption software ". The server with encrypted information is being held offline and an IT contractor is working with the practice to restore a backup of patient records. IT security exper

Domain name registrar and website hosting provider Go Daddy is responding to a DNS attack targeting a "small number" of its hosted websites that one security firm said is enabling cyber criminals to spread ransomware.  The DNS (Domain Name System) is what transfers host-names into IP addresses, meaning computers can talk to each other and users can access them online. Godaddy said, " We suspect that the affected customers have been phished or their home machines have been affected by Cool Exploit as we have confirmed that this is not a vulnerability in the My Account or DNS management systems. " The Cool Exploit Kit targets a variety of vulnerabilities, including Java errors, and has been seen spreading via drive-by attack websites. The ransomware served depends on the country of origin. In the UK, it is malware posing as a legitimate message from the Met's Police e-Crime Unit (PCeU). It locks the computer, on the grounds that the computer was guilt

Imagine someone getting access to your computer, encrypting all your family photos and other priceless files, and then demanding a ransom for their safe return. That is what ransomware is all about. Symantec's latest research report suggests police-themed ransomware could be a replacement to the once-lucrative fake antivirus scareware trade. According to  report , Ransomware distributors are raking in around $5 million dollars a year and the spoils are being spread among just 16 crime groups. Symantec's estimates suggest a significant but not yet thriving crime business, which delivers each operation, on average, $300,000 a year. Reticently identified Oracle Java SE Remote Java Run time Environment vulnerability (  CVE-2012-5076 ) leads to  Geo located   Ransomware Malware . Java vulnerability actually can allows attacker to unauthorized disclosure of information, unauthorized modification and disruption of service. This Ransomware shows a bogus notification, that preten

Folks from abuse.ch spotted an interesting piece of ransomware malware currently circulating in the wild. Current release is infecting Windows users. It seems that Cybercrooks are taking advantage of Anonymous Banner, for conducting such malware campaigns and supposed to be another game by opposite parties for discredit/Infamous the name of Anonymous in the eyes of the world. Before twitter user @FawkesSecurity posted a threat to bomb a government building by Anonymous. But later, collective group clear themself by statement, " Anonymous is not a terrorist organization. Anonymous does not use bombs. Anonymous does not condone violence in any way. Anonymous supports justice and universal equal rights. We support peaceful protest ." Ransomware malware restricts access to the computer system that it infects and demands a ransom paid to the creator of the malware in order for the restriction to be removed. Message read " Your computer has been hacked by the Ano