Porn worm extorts money from 2,500 victims
A fast-spreading Russian ransom worm that locks people out of their files has found at least 2,500 victims willing to pay up to get back control of their PCs, researchers have discovered.
The malware is identified by Trend Micro as Worm_Rixobot.A, which says it has been spreading in recent weeks using infected porn websites, instant messaging applications and even infected USB drives, hence its designation as a worm rather than a Trojan.
After taking over a user's PC, terminating a range of Windows and security programs and blocking access to websites, a splash screen demands that users pay the Russian rouble equivalent of NZ$16 by texting a premium-rate SMS number in order to receive an unlock key.
