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CryptoLocker Ransomware Scammers Charge Lowered Price of 0.5 Bitcoins for Data Retrieval

Internet crooks responsible for CryptoLocker, name of a ransomware scam, have brought down its decryption price from an initial 2 Bitcoins ($868) to 0.5 Bitcoins, therefore setting the price approximately at $300, which was the rate they'd demanded during the first round of the scam, state security researchers at F-Secure the Finland-based security company.

A change was noticed within certain CryptoLocker variant, which emerged on 20th November 2013. Nevertheless, the reduced price does not imply that the scammers will be satisfied with lower income; however, since Bitcoins' price was recently raised, they required making an adjustment of it to their demanded value.

Evidently, CryptoLocker is sent through e-mail in the form of executable file masked to appear like a PDF within certain zipped attachment. If run, this ransomware encrypts everything inside the target computer's hard drive along with its local drive that maybe connected to the hard drive. Thereafter, it asks for the ransom to get the private unlocking code. The victimized user is told he requires making the payment in 72-hrs failing which all his encrypted data would get wholly erased.

However, according to one recent fresh service, data restoration can be done even past the maximum 72-hrs timeline for the ransom payment, but at an increased price-level.

Reportedly, in UK, people in millions are by now recipients of e-mails which are spreading the CryptoLocker.

Within United States, the Massachusetts based Swansea Police Department lately decided to make one $750 ransom payment so it could retrieve its files under CryptoLocker scammers' control.

Security Researchers Sean Sullivan of F-Secure posts that the unidentified cyber-criminals responsible for CryptoLocker are just carrying out routine business activities eventually concentrating on churning the maximum revenue out of their nefarious operations, reported theregister.co.uk dated November 25, 2013.

And since the optimum action is always maintaining prevention, Web-surfers must remain wary of avoiding attachments of the above kind; make their anti-virus and operating systems up-to-date; and regularly back up all their user-created files.

Finally, if a PC gets contaminated, it's important to quarantine the system off the network, while seek professional help for cleansing the same.

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