FessLeak – new drive-by malware that encrypts your data without you even doing anything
PC users beware – we’ve received reports of a new type of malware that can encrypt your data against your will, along the same vein as the CryptoWall family of viruses. This time around the malware gets on your system when you access any regular web page that displays an advertisement, and if the advertisement is compromised, your computer system can download and install the malware without you even knowing.
Here’s a snippet from Invincea.com:
Ransomware malvertising can strike at any time, and it typically is dropped from clickbait articles on popular websites or simply by visiting popular sites like DailyMotion.com. You can be checking out someone’s “Granny opening a new iPhone video” when you are suddenly confronted with a full screen announcing all your files and photos have been one-way encrypted and to get them back you have to pay a bitcoin ransom to a criminal organization. There may be no worse feeling in the digital age than having all your personal files, family albums, and work encrypted and held for a ransom.
Although ransomware has been in the news since CryptoLocker (CriLock) made its debut, we continue to see new innovations in ransomware. More advanced versions now use file-less infections and communicate via the Tor network. They can also check to ensure the host is not running on a virtual machine to frustrate security researchers and analysis.
Our recommendations to protect yourself online
- Ensure your antivirus software is up to date with the latest definitions
- Ensure your web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome, are up to date with the latest versions
- Ensure plugins such as Adobe Flash and Java are up to date, as many exploits are delivered via these plugins
- Ensure your important data is regularly backed up, because if you don’t want to pay the ransom to the hackers, restoring from backup is the only way to get your data back
- Remain vigilant and inform your IT support team if you suspect anything is occurring on your computer system that is out of the ordinary
The top three items in the list above are taken care of automatically by our computerCare service, which installs patches for these items for you within 24 hours of a patch being released by the software vendor.
If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact us.