New Delhi: An advanced, hard-to-crack computer virus, has started troubling netizens across the country including cyber users of Orissa.
Christened ‘Ransomware’, this virus locks the documents of computer, mobile and tab users after getting activated. Experts opine this troubling agent uses document files like MS word, excel and others as targets to corrupt the system.
Cyber experts told this newspaper Ransomware seeks the users’ permission while downloading files from the Internet to enable ‘macro option’ on their system and the real trouble begins here. Hackers have been using this technique to lock the system data of users after the macro option is enabled.
Experts opine that no tools are available to cope up with Ransomware. “This is an advanced tool which is being used by European hackers. There is hardly any anti-virus which can detect this virus and even cyber experts are finding it impossible to clean the system after it contaminates the system. The only option left after it gets affected is formatting,” said Dinesh Kumar Mohanty, a certified ethical hacker from Bhubaneswar.
The most unique part of this type of hacking with the help of the virus begins after corrupting the system.
The hackers ask the users to pay money in the form of BITCOIN, which is non-refundable unlike other modes of payment to recover data which ranges anywhere between `2,00,000 and `3,00,000 depending on the data.
However, experts said precautionary measures can help avert damage caused by the virus. “Netizens should not change computer settings if some unidentified email or website demands that. It is always advisable not to download a document from unknown and untrusted source to keep cybercrimes at bay,” said Robin Verma, a cyber expert from New Delhi.
Manish Kumar
Post News Network
