Trojan Targets Windows-users who then get hit with Ransomware, States Trend Micro

Trend Micro warns that Windows-users who contract one particular Trojan are likely to get hit with a ransomware, which locks PC folders, followed with demanding huge Bitcoins the Internet-based currency so the data-files can be unlocked.

The Trojan used for infecting Windows is known as "Farheit." It's one kind of information-stealer, which can also pull down other malicious programs such as ZeuS. Of late, nonetheless, security researchers found that Farheit also disseminated "Cribit" a ransomware.

Threat Response Engineer Rhena Inocencio of Trend Micro described Cribit as having twin variants that the company detected. Of these, one encoded data-folders as well as demanded the ransom in an English language missive, while the other produced one multilingual ransom message in ten different languages. Scmagazine.com published this, March 26, 2014.

Inocencio posted that some of the languages used in the scam messages were Spanish, French, Arabic and Chinese, in addition to English.

The ransom message led end-users onto one Deep Web hosted website that solely Tor could facilitate access to.

Trend Micro discovered that 40 in 100 users victimized with Cribit resided inside USA as also that the malware's samples that forcibly directed to pay Bitcoins valuing $240 were identified to be fresh iterations known as "BitCrypt."

Sadly, there's no guarantee that following the ransom's payment, unlocking of files will actually happen.

Threat Communications Manager Christopher Budd at Trend Micro contends that in the end, cyber-crooks want to attain just one goal that of ripping an individual off his money. Tweaktown.com reported this, March 26, 2014.

Budd further states that decoding the files and restoring them to the victim surely isn't the crooks' priority. Besides, paying the money demanded will encourage as also aid in proliferating the crooks' operations still further, he adds.

The above yet again outlines how online-crooks are benefiting from utilizing sophisticated malware for hijacking computers leading to theft of information, and eventually extracting money to free those PCs from malware.

However, for keeping one's system safe from getting attacked with such ransomware, it's necessary to load up-to-date anti-virus software. But, incase the person is already victimized he should immediately scan his PC with an AV.

» SPAMfighter News - 4/1/2014