Government agencies and computer users in Vietnam were warned of thepotential loss of data on computers affected by the emerging computervirus CryptoLocker.
The Vietnam Computer EmergencyResponse Team (VNCERT) on January 9 issued an alert noting that hackersusing the virus are targeting "tens of millions" of computers in thecountry.
The team, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Informationand Communications, said CryptoLocker is an especially insidious form ofRansomeware malware, which was first detected in the wild in September2013.
The virus restricts access to infected computers andrequires victims to pay a ransom of 100-300 USD or more within 72 hoursin order to regain full access, it said.
What makesCryptoLocker so hard to crack is the strong encryption method it uses tolock down the user data on the hard drive.
If the ransom is not paid on time, the virus deletes the decryption key that is needed to decrypt all the files on the PC.
The malware lands on PCs in the same way as other malware does, and afew sensible precautions can help minimise the chances of suffering aCrytoLocker attack.
"Computer users should regularly copy theirdata to a backup hard disk. As soon as they recognise any signs ofremote encryption, they should turn off the computer," said VNCERT'sexpert Ha Hai Thanh.
Antivirus software will help, but the best defence is to avoid opening attachments and to back up your files, he noted.
According to a recent report by VNCERT, at least 1 million Vietnamesecomputers have been exploited by foreign botnet networks to deliver morethan 3.33 billion spam messages per day, and they could also be used toattack national information technology systems.
VNCERTrecently discovered that international networks saw the involvement ofcomputers with Vietnamese IP addresses, including Zeus botnet, with14,075 Vietnamese IP addresses, and Sality, Downadup andTrafficconverter, with a further 113,273.
The networks' spywarenot only destroyed information technology systems but also stoleconfidential documents from agencies and organisations.
Computer end-users in Vietnam lose a combined 400 million USD per yeardue to malicious programmes and computer viruses, according to Vietnam'sleading Internet security firm Bach Khoa Internetwork SecurityCentre.-VNA
The Vietnam Computer EmergencyResponse Team (VNCERT) on January 9 issued an alert noting that hackersusing the virus are targeting "tens of millions" of computers in thecountry.
The team, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Informationand Communications, said CryptoLocker is an especially insidious form ofRansomeware malware, which was first detected in the wild in September2013.
The virus restricts access to infected computers andrequires victims to pay a ransom of 100-300 USD or more within 72 hoursin order to regain full access, it said.
What makesCryptoLocker so hard to crack is the strong encryption method it uses tolock down the user data on the hard drive.
If the ransom is not paid on time, the virus deletes the decryption key that is needed to decrypt all the files on the PC.
The malware lands on PCs in the same way as other malware does, and afew sensible precautions can help minimise the chances of suffering aCrytoLocker attack.
"Computer users should regularly copy theirdata to a backup hard disk. As soon as they recognise any signs ofremote encryption, they should turn off the computer," said VNCERT'sexpert Ha Hai Thanh.
Antivirus software will help, but the best defence is to avoid opening attachments and to back up your files, he noted.
According to a recent report by VNCERT, at least 1 million Vietnamesecomputers have been exploited by foreign botnet networks to deliver morethan 3.33 billion spam messages per day, and they could also be used toattack national information technology systems.
VNCERTrecently discovered that international networks saw the involvement ofcomputers with Vietnamese IP addresses, including Zeus botnet, with14,075 Vietnamese IP addresses, and Sality, Downadup andTrafficconverter, with a further 113,273.
The networks' spywarenot only destroyed information technology systems but also stoleconfidential documents from agencies and organisations.
Computer end-users in Vietnam lose a combined 400 million USD per yeardue to malicious programmes and computer viruses, according to Vietnam'sleading Internet security firm Bach Khoa Internetwork SecurityCentre.-VNA
