Spam, trojans, viruses, spyware, worms and malware move over, there’s yet another threat to anyone accessing the web or reading their email: ransomware.
According to Information Week, unsuspecting internet users are finding their files or computer held hostage by malicious software that demands a ransom be paid before allowing access.
The latest threat comes in the form of a self-proclaimed anti-spyware product called SpywareNo. This ransomware uses the security vulnerabilities in unpatched versions of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web-browser to install itself on a user’s machine and then issue fake spyware warnings until the user agrees to pay for a “full-version” of the software from the developer.
As always, consider running an anti-spyware program, such as Webroot’s Spysweeper in addition to your anti-virus software, and make sure that both are updated to the latest patches. Also, consider a network firewall, even if it’s a simple $30 hardware router between your computer and broadband modem or a software firewall like Zone Alarm.