Ransomeware: Hackers Now Kidnap Your Computer Files and Want You to Pay to Get Them Back

As if there weren't enough people trying to attack your computer through things like e-mail spam, viruses, Trojans, adware, spyware, and malware. There's a new breed of hacker that's not content with simply screwing up your computer: He holds your data files hostage and demands money to get them back to you. Welcome to the wonderful world of ransomeware.

It's only been around a few years, but ransomeware is quickly becoming more widespread, and the processes used to lock out your data are becoming more sophisticated. As a result, computer experts are concerned that the time may come when even high-end virus packages won't be able to keep up with the myriad of methods these criminals can use to keep you from your data files.

A typical ransomeware attack is a multi-step process. First, the hacker gains access to a computer through a normal virus or Trojan program. Using that He finds data files on the computer and encrypts them using a software key. Then either through an e-mail message or a pop-up window on the computer screen, the hacker informs the user that the files have been encrypted, and requests money to unencrypt your data. If you refuse, the files remain encrypted and you are locked out of your own data files. Or worse, the files are "executed", deleted from your computer several at a time, until payment is received. In that case, the deleted files are lost forever.

So why can't companies like Norton, Symantec, and Cisco remove this threat they way they do with viruses and other -ware programs? In the case of a virus, a small piece of code is inserted into a computer program. Recognizing that signature piece of code for a new virus does take time, but with current software programs designed to look for anomalies within existing software, the process is relatively quick. Not so with encryption keys, the method most ransomeware users utilize to lock up your data. An encryption key is like a code, changing every character within the program or data file to something new. Without the key, you have no way of knowing how to change the characters back to their original values. And with keys running upwards of 600 characters or more, it's becoming extremely difficult and time-consuming to have a computer program run through all the possible permutations to determine what that key is, in spite of the increasing power and speed of our existing computer base. Eventually encryption keys could become so long that it would take literally years for a program to find the right one. And that's time you as a user don't have to wait to get your data back.

What can you do to protect yourself from these types of attacks? Pretty much what you do to protect yourself from other illicit computer breaches. Make sure you're running a virus-scanning program on your computer (these days many ISPs--Internet Service Providers--include virus-scanning capabilities as part of your monthly fee; ask them before running out and buying something off the shelf). Don't open e-mails from sources you don't know, and don't open attachments within e-mails unless you know exactly what the attachment is. Don't indiscriminately download programs from the Internet and install them on your computer. If you have a wireless router that lets you connect wireless devices to your network, make sure they are password protected or that you limit access by NIC card (check with your favorite computer store, your router's manufacturer, or even your ISP to learn how to do this). You should also always notify your ISP if you get any kind of message on your computer concerning viruses, Trojans, or any other kind of -ware program.

And the biggest thing you can do to protect yourself from ransomeware: BACK UP YOUR DATA! Yeah, we're back to this again. But think about it. If you back up your data regularly, and some clown locks you out of what you have on your computer, you have a backup copy that you can access relatively quickly. Be sure that the backup isn't just a copy of the data located in another folder on your hard drive, or on another hard drive on your system. Back up data to CD or DVD, or better yet, to a portable hard drive that you can connect to your PC via a USB port. (In that last scenario, make sure you don't leave the drive plugged into your system after your backup is complete; otherwise it can become encrypted just like any other hard drive on your system.)

There's always some idiot hacker out there trying to keep you from doing what you need to do. Ransomeware is the latest tool in his arsenal to mess up your life, while putting a price tag on your valuable data. Be aware of the methodology he uses to gain access to your computer; protect your computer with the latest virus protection software; watch out for e-mails and attachments from unfamiliar sources; be discriminatory when obtaining files from the Internet; and BACK UP YOUR DATA REGULARLY. Don't let some computer-savvy twit with the social skills of a five-year-old keep you from using what's rightfully yours. It's so much easier--and a heck of a lot cheaper!--to be proactive than reactive.