Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A The Newest and Nastiest Ransomware on the Web

The latest nasty virus to hit the Internet is called Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A, a ransomware that first showed its ugly head on September 10th, 2013. This virus is capable of locking you out of your computer and stealing your sensitive information. Here's everything you need to know about this new ransomware and how to stop it.

How do You Know if Your Computer is Infected?
The Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A is extra sneaky because you don't directly download it. Instead, it's downloaded by another malware already on your system. Therefore, it's difficult to pinpoint where exactly this virus originates from, but if it has found a way onto your PC, then it most likely came from web browsing habits that circumvented your antivirus software protections. This can happen when a user chooses to download a bad attachment from a spam email, visit a malicious website, or even by browsing the Internet with outdated antivirus software.

If you have been online since September 10th, then there's
a chance that this code of malware programed to download the Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A virus is on your PC and ready to strike. If it's been awhile since you last updated your antivirus software and ran a scan, then it's impartive that you do so immediately. One of the reasons you will want to update your antivirus software is because an update will include the latest known virus definitions, like the Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A. A good antivirus solution will also remove all malware found on your PC, including the code responsible for downloading the Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A. One sign that your PC is infected is if it starts to slow down and begins to act buggy.

What Kind of Damage Does this Virus Do?
Another way that the Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A virus is sneaky is that it will make changes to your Windows registry in order make sure it runs every time you restart your PC. This makes it extra difficult to get rid of because the standard remedy of "turning it on and off again" has no effect, in fact, it only makes things worse.

By the time you realize your PC is infected with the Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A, it's too late. You will be locked out of your desktop with a browser window literally holding your computer ransom. Like a ransom note written in cut up pages from a magazine, a text box will read "Your personal files are encrypted," and at this point, there's very little you the victim can do about it.

Virtual Extortion
The hackers behind Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A want your money. You give them money and they will give you back your computer, or at least that's what they promise. Obviously, you don't want to give these jerkwads your money because this won't eliminate the problem. Paying the hackers will give you access to your desktop, but the virus will still be installed on your PC ready to strike again. You should also be aware that if your PC is being held ransom, then that means the hackers have access to the sensitive information on your machine, so you will want to quickly cancel your credit and debit cards and change the passwords to all the accounts you have accessed from your computer.

The Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A virus will encrypt your fixed and remote drivers, which will deny you access to your desktop. To add injury to insult, you will be given the ultimatum of 72 hours "or else." In this scenario, the penalty for missing this deadline is destruction of the unique "key" that unlocks your PC, making your computer a useless box of encrypted files. You can test your luck and try to disable the software, but if you mess up and "cut the wrong wire," then your access key will be destroyed.

What's an Infected User to Do?
If you're a victim of the Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A virus, then your best option is to wipe your drive and install it with your uninfected, backed-up data. Once your redundant files are recovered and copied on your drive, you will want to scan everything again with updated antivirus software in order to make sure you're not reinstalling the guilty malware.

When it comes to dealing with viruses this nasty, you will want to enlist the help of the professionals at USA Computer Services. We can take care of threats like this, or any other viruses and malware that compromise your data. One lesson we can learn from the Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A virus is the importance of backing up your data and having a strong network security solution. To learn more about how to strengthen your firewall to protect against ransomware like the Trojan:Win32/Crilock.A, or to have us evaluate your network to look for vulnerabilities where ransomware and malware find their way onto your system, call us today at (704) 665-1619.