FBI Warns Computer Users of Increasing Trend of Aggressive Ransomware Incidents

The computer security landscape looks entirely different than it did just a few years ago. Today, we face a strong force that hackers are using in the creation and distribution of advanced threats called ransomware, which the FBI has issued and alert for computer users to stay vigilant of ransomware scams.

Ransomware has been an ever-so-growing threat that has recently morphed into malware that encrypts files while it asks that the computer user pay up a hefty fee. Usually, ransomware threats will display a stern notification on your screen attempting to relay a message that the authorities have detected illegal actions performed by you on the Internet. The most recent ransomware threats have taken an extra step by encrypting files and then holding them for ransom by asking you to pay up a fine costing $500 or more all the way up to $5,000. Computer users who pay the fine may or may not receive the so-called decryption key for their computer in decrypting their encrypted files.

Fundamentally, new ransomware threats, such as CryptoLocker, CryptoWall, and many others, have designated their actions to damaging important files on hard drives where they may never be recovered. For obvious reasons, such threats are a serious problem and could cause a computer to be unusable.

Latest version of CryptoWall Ransomware pop-up message

There has been a steady upward trend of ransomware that computer security researchers have taken notice too, which has caused the FBI to issue warnings to computer users. Law enforcement agencies from countries all around the world have warned that ransomware has spread to mobile devices utilizing the same principle: keep a device locked until a random fine is paid.

The FBI has said that ransomware targets have expanded to government agencies, educational organizations, financial institutions, and other business. The Bureau has also exclaimed that drive-by download attacks are now more common for the distribution of ransomware to the point where outdated web browser plug-ins may be used to install the threat.

The importance of not only running updated antimalware or antivirus software is just a first measure in combating the relentless ransomware threats that are on the loose today. Additionally, keeping other software updated is a necessary task that must be practice often to ward off the latest ransomware threats.