There has been a rise in Australians being held to ransom by hackers through the unbreakable virus known as Cryptolocker, according to an ABC News report. This hijacks computer files and demands a ransom to restore them – simple enough if you have them backed up, not so good in other situations.
Cryptolocker comes in a number of versions, the latest capitalising on the release of Windows 10. The hackers offer owners of infected computers a chance to retrieve data – but only if they pay a ransom, typically $400-500 or so, often demanding use of the electronic currency bitcoin.
Delia Rickard, deputy chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, said that over the past two months there has been a spike in the number of people falling victim to the scam.
The commission has received 2500 complaints this year and estimates about $400,000 has been paid to the hackers. And “that’s the tip of the iceberg,” quoth Rickard.
