New Variant of Destructive Ransomware Identified

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New Variant of Destructive Ransomware Identified

Security researchers from Kaspersky Lab have identified a new variant of a destructive ransomware program that encrypts personal files with an uncrackable algorithm.

Ransomware applications block critical system functionality or lock access to important documents and ask for money to restore normal operations. It's a form of online blackmail and is considered the next step in the evolution of scareware, programs that scare users into paying money by making false claims.

Many ransomware programs, especially those that block access to the system, can be cleaned safely from Safe Mode with the right tools. However, those that encrypt personal files are more dangerous if the algorithm is not crackable and can lead to data loss.

This is the case of programs in the Gpcode ransomware family, which make use of the secure RSA public-key algorithm with an 1024-bit key. Once installed, these applications start encrypting files with predefined extensions, including documents and images, and post a warning message on the desktop advising users to read an instructions file that tells them to send money if they want the special encryption key.

More details here: http://news.softpedia.com/news/New-Variant-of-Destructive-Ransomware-Identified-191613.shtml