ransomware

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Brian Randell <Brian.Randell () ncl ac uk>
Date: June 1, 2006 6:52:15 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Fwd: ransomware

Dave:

Our local security coordinator spotted this BBCnews item - I thought  
you might want it for IP, unless the scam is already all too  
prevalent in the USA.

cheers

Brian



> From
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/5034384.stm
>
> Woman targeted by web hackers
> A woman from Greater Manchester has become a victim of an internet  
> scam
> in which hackers hijack computer files and blackmail owners to get  
> them
> back.
> Helen Barrow, a 40-year-old nurse from Rochdale, is believed to be one
> of the first victims of the con in the UK.
>
> Criminals encrypt files with complex passwords, leaving a ransom note
> telling victims not to contact police.
>
> Ms Barrow's note said that she would have to buy drugs from an online
> pharmacy to find out the password.
>
> The new phenomenon, known as Ransomware, means victims cannot  
> access any
> of the files stored in their My Documents folder.
>
> Ms Barrow, from Littleborough, discovered her computer files had
> vanished and replaced by one 30-digit password-protected folder.
>
>
>  When I realised what had happened, I just felt sick to the core
> Helen Barrow
> She also found a new file named "instructions how to get your files
> back".
>
> Ms Barrow contacted police and an IT expert who managed to recover  
> some
> of her files, which included coursework for her nursing degree.
>
> The senior sister said: "When I realised what had happened, I just  
> felt
> sick to the core.
>
> "I was in shock.
>
> "It was a horrible feeling and I thought I was going to lose all of my
> work.
>
>
> "I had lots of family photographs and personal letters on the computer
> and to think that other people could have been looking at them was
> awful."
>
> A message had appeared on her computer screen telling her she had
> contracted an unnamed virus.
>
> It is thought the message was part of the scam and she inadvertently
> downloaded it.
>
> The virus is known as Archiveus and victims are told to buy
> pharmaceutical drugs from an internet chemist thought to be based in
> Russia.
>
> A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Our High Tech Crime  
> Unit is
> aware of this new type of crime and incidents of this kind could
> increase in future."
>
> Story from BBC NEWS:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/manchester/5034384.stm
>
> Published: 2006/05/31 15:59:53 GMT
>
> (c) BBC MMVI


--
School of Computing Science, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon  
Tyne,
NE1 7RU, UK
EMAIL = Brian.Randell () ncl ac uk   PHONE = +44 191 222 7923
FAX = +44 191 222 8232  URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/~brian.randell/


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