I know sometimes with all the blurring of the lines between truth and conjecture, our foundational institutions suffer with accusations that can’t easily or timely be responded to. I reference this information as a reliable source because that is what we must look for when we are trying to research and / or obtain information, and we must do that before we accept information and pass it along. What many people do not realize is that they are considered a reliable source by others and in passing information, they lend great credibility to it. We must all work together to put a stop to misinformation designed to foster and feed an atmosphere of fear and almost worse, cynicism. Thank you. Now, on to this very important information about a scourge affecting almost everyone either directly or indirectly: RANSOMWARE.
FBI Releases Article on Ransomware
Released 4/29/2016
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released an article addressing the proliferation of ransomware campaigns. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that infects a computer and restricts users’ access to it until a ransom is paid to unlock it. Individuals and organizations are discouraged from paying the ransom, as this does not guarantee access will be restored.” [https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2016/04/29/FBI-Releases-Article-Ransomware]
Photo taken from FBI report on ransomware, https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2016/04/29/FBI-Releases-Article-Ransomware
“Ransomware attacks are not only proliferating, they’re becoming more sophisticated. Several years ago, ransomware was normally delivered through spam e-mails, but because e-mail systems got better at filtering out spam, cyber criminals turned to spear phishing e-mails targeting specific individuals.
And in newly identified instances of ransomware, some cyber criminals aren’t using e-mails at all. According to FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director James Trainor, “These criminals have evolved over time and now bypass the need for an individual to click on a link. They do this by seeding legitimate websites with malicious code, taking advantage of unpatched software on end-user computers.”
https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2016/april/incidents-of-ransomware-on-the-rise/incidents-of-ransomware-on-the-rise