SurveyLocker Ransomware

Posted: December 5, 2016

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	10/10
Infected PCs:	47

First Seen:	December 5, 2016
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The SurveyLocker Ransomware is a Trojan that may lock your screen, block necessary software or encrypt the contents of your hard drive. Its attacks promote completing a survey to unlock your computer, although malware experts encourage using alternatives that don't provide revenue for con artists. Following the solutions presented in this article and using anti-malware products for uninstalling the SurveyLocker Ransomware should resolve most accompanying security issues.

A Trojan's Asking Price for Your Screen

In an era where con artists are taking to asking for money in cryptocurrency in exchange for helping their victims, some Trojans stand out as being significantly cheaper than others. For example, malware researchers are seeing active in December, the SurveyLocker Ransomware is prominent as an inexpensive piece of threatening software that, despite the low price, manages to be a real security impediment to your PC. Its attacks are most likely compatible with most versions of Windows.

Although the primary function of the SurveyLocker Ransomware's payload is its screen-locking feature, some sources cite the possibility of the Trojan also encrypting your local data or causing other damages. Malware experts can only confirm the pop-up attack, which loads a message warning the victims to fill out a survey to regain access to their desktops.

This form of revenue isn't unheard of, and malware researchers have seen other threats utilizing similar tactics, such as the FileIce Survey Lockscreen. Since filling out a survey is less obviously expensive or threatening than transferring Bitcoin currency (another profiteering method favored among file-encrypting Trojans and other ransomware), victims may be tempted to 'take the easy way out.' Simultaneously, however, exposure to arbitrary sites that the SurveyLocker Ransomware promoted may cause other security problems, whether or not it unlocks your PC.

Surveying the One Answer that Matters for Your PC's Safety

Filling out the provided survey doesn't remove the SurveyLocker Ransomware from your computer, and its presence can continue causing security problems, such as threatening Registry changes. Malware experts also find fake surveys being hosts of phishing attacks that can collect your information, resulting in identity theft, fraudulent purchases, and additional issues inevitably. For your safety, you always should consider different solutions before taking offers from con artists who demonstrate a lack of interest in your PC's security.

The SurveyLocker Ransomware modifies essential Windows components and may lock you out of both your Windows UI and useful software. To overcome these impediments, restart the computer and access the Advanced Startup Options menu through any means pertinent to your version of Windows (such as tapping F8 before Windows starts to load). Select any 'Safe Mode' option to reboot without the screen-locking pop-up, and let your anti-malware tools remove the SurveyLocker Ransomware while scanning your computer.

Replying to seemingly harmless questions can be more threatening than one might think. If the question is coming from threat actors like the SurveyLocker Ransomware's author, the dangers might be worth considering before you input any answers.
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SurveyLocker Ransomware

Threat Metric

A Trojan's Asking Price for Your Screen

Surveying the One Answer that Matters for Your PC's Safety

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