Blog

Software Crack Sites Are Being Used To Distribute Ransomware

Oct 10, 2020 | Blog

Hackers have long used the lure of software cracks to infect unsuspecting users, but recently, a new group is making waves and finding significant success in using the Exorcist 2.0 ransomware to lock a user’s files and extort them. It’s a nasty combination. The user thinks he’s getting a free unlock for some piece of software (most often, Microsoft’s Windows 10), but when he downloads and runs the file, which is password protected.

Since the user has to manually enter the password to gain access to the supposed unlock, those programs all assume that everything is fine. That allows the threat actors to neatly side-stepping Microsoft’s SmartScreen, Google’s Safe Browsing, or the security protocols included in whatever anti-malware software you’re running.

If you’ve been lured by the prospect of free software and found yourself with locked files, unless you’ve made a recent backup, you’re at the mercy of the hackers. They have extorted between $250 and as much as $10,000 from users to get their files back.

Of interest though, they’re surprisingly professional about it, or as professional as hackers can be expected to be, at any rate. You’ll be able to live chat with a hacker “customer service representative” who will helpfully walk you through the ransom paying process, and in a demonstration of ‘good faith,’ they’ll even decrypt one file for you, for free so you can see that they do indeed have the capability of restoring all of them.

This is obviously bad news, but in this case, the fix is a simple one: Don’t use cracked software. Spend the money to buy a legitimate copy. Sure, if you use a crack, you might get lucky. Then again, you might wind up with all your files encrypted and in a real bind. It’s just not worth the modest savings involved.

FBI Program Tasked with Infrastructure Security Compromised

FBI Program Tasked with Infrastructure Security Compromised

The FBI program tasked with ensuring critical infrastructure security has been compromised by hackers, who now offer access to the program's data on the dark web. The breach was initially disclosed by Brian Krebs of Krebs on Security, who claims that the data was for...

Streamline Your Business with the Latest Smart Home Technology

Streamline Your Business with the Latest Smart Home Technology

Are you a business owner looking to get the most out of your Google smart home devices? If so, you're in luck! Google has enabled its Nest products and Android OS with the initial rollout of the Matter smart home standard. This means that businesses now have the...

Data Breach at Sequoia One Exposes Sensitive Customer Information

Data Breach at Sequoia One Exposes Sensitive Customer Information

What do you do when your most personal information has been compromised? This is likely the question that customers of Sequoia One asked themselves earlier this month as they were informed that the company had been hacked. Sequoia One specializes in the management of...

Cisco Reports Critical IP Phone Vulnerability

Cisco Reports Critical IP Phone Vulnerability

As a business owner, it's important to stay informed about potential vulnerabilities that could impact your organization. Recently, Cisco reported a critical vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2022-20968, affecting its IP Phone 7800 and 8800 Series. This new vulnerability...

Google Chrome Releases Two New Features

Google Chrome Releases Two New Features

Google Chrome is one of the more commonly used web browsers. Over the years, though, Chrome has gained a reputation for utilizing a large portion of a computer's memory. This can be a problem if you're running other resource-intensive tasks and don't want to slow...

Get a Free Consultation

 

Fill out the form below to receive a free consultation and learn how we can make your technology worry-free!

 

Contact Information

  • 39301 Badger Street, Suite 500
    Palm Desert, CA 9221
  • (760) 333-8523
  • info@icn.tech