Cryptolocker: The evolution of extortion
The Cryptolocker Trojan is an evolution of "ransomware," not a revolutionary change from past criminal attempts to extort money from PC owners, a security expert said today.
And the recent media blitz about the ransomware has elements of exaggeration about it.
"There is a bit of hype," said John Shier, a senior security advisor for U.K.-based Sophos, in an interview today. "Actually, it's only the latest incarnation of ransomware." Ransomware is a category of malware that, once on a system, encrypts files and then tries to convince users to pay to decrypt them so they can again be opened. The crimeware has been in active circulation since at least 2005, with traces harking back as far as 1989.
