This ransomware application features certified cryptography delivered by Microsoft’s CryptoAPI. Most victims could simply ignore the demands and use an anti-virus to decrypt the system.īut CryptoLocker added a new dimension to cybercrime. This rudimentary approach relied more on a social engineering approach than on the power of the actual software encryption – which was rather weak. The scheme was simple, and it generally only worked on uninformed casual Internet users who fell for the ruse, believing that the FBI or some other law enforcement agency was snooping through their personal files. Ransomware owners would typically target regular users on their personal PCs and convince them that they have to pay a fine to decrypt their files or else face prosecution for pirating music or downloading pornography. What Is CryptoLocker and Why Is It Special?īefore CryptoLocker, ransomware was not particularly threatening to business and commercial Internet users.

Whether trying to decrypt CryptoLocker or remove one of CryptoLocker’s new variants from your computer, key information will prove vital to the process. This difference has since cast a wide shadow over the cybercrime industry, influencing and informing further generations of cybercriminals since.īy taking a look at this codifying example of ransomware, you can derive useful insight into how to protect your business from becoming a victim of extortion. It was not the first example of ransomware to meet the public, but it was the most widespread and the most lucrative one.Ĭomputer manufacturer Dell, through its SecureWorks cybersecurity arm, estimated that CryptoLocker victimized anywhere between 200,000 and 250,000 systems, making its owners about $3 million in the process.ĬryptoLocker’s owners were able to extort these massive gains from innocent users because of a key difference in the way the application works compared to the ransomware strategies of the past.

What Is CryptoLocker and Why Is It Special?įrom its introduction in 2013, CryptoLocker has represented a critical shift in the way malware works.

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