Locky - A Dangerous Virus or Malware That Locks Your Files for Ransom
Virus alert!!! There is a malicious computer program or virus called Locky that will lock or encrypt the important files on your computer, making them unreadable or inaccessible. It will then demand a money ransom to have the files unlocked or decrypted, which there is no guarantee that this will happen after sending the ransom. If you don't think backing up the files on your computer is important, now is the time to start doing so, or else this virus will let you pay if your computer gets infected with it.
A Screenshot of the Locky Virus or Malware
Your personal files are encrypted!
Your important files encryption produced on this computer: photos, videos, documents, etc. Here is a complete list of encrypted files, and you can personally verify this.
Encryption was produced using a unique public key RS-2048 generated for this computer.to decrypt files you need to obtain the private key.
The single copy of the private key, which will allow you to decrypt the files, located on a secret server on the internet; the server will destroy the key after a time specified in this window,. After that, nobody and never will be able to restore files.
To obtain the private key for this computer, which will automatically decrypt files, you need to pay 100 USD / 100 EUR / similar amount in another currency.
Click Next to select the method of payment and the currency.
Any attempts to remove or damage this software will lead to the immediate destruction of the private key by the server.
If your computer becomes infected with this virus, the window with the message above will be displayed on your computer screen demanding a random.
What this virus does, is to make all your important files, which includes documents, videos and photos on your computer, inaccessible or unreadable by encrypting them with a very powerful encryption technology.
The only way to decrypt or make these file readable again, is to get the private key from the cybercriminals responsible for the virus or malware. Without the private key, your files that were encrypted by this nasty virus or malware will be lost forever.
This virus or malware also has a ticking count-down clock that will destroy the private key when it reaches zero. Now, once the private key is destroyed or loss, you will not be able to recover your encrypted files.
Should You Pay the Ransom Money to the Cybercriminals?
This is a difficult question, because there is no guarantee that you will receive the private key after you have made the payment. So, you may end up losing your files and money. Some persons have claimed that they received the private key after making payment. But, others have claimed that they didn’t receive a private key and I have lost all their files.
How Do I Prevent my Computer from getting Infected?
Ensure that you have antivirus software installed on your computer and it is updated regularly. Also, ensure that you make a backup copy of your files on a Compact Disc (CD), flash drive, or other removable media. If your computer gets infected, at least, you will be able to recover your files from the backup that you have made. Be careful when clicking on links, opening email attachments, downloading and installing software from unknown or untrusting websites.
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