
This database was in turn used to create an online tool for recovering keys and files without having to pay the ransom.ĬryptoLocker only works on PCs with Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8, as it is designed to take advantage of the features included in those operating systems. However, the joint efforts of police forces from multiple countries made it possible to access the database of private keys used by CryptoLocker. Once active, the malware encrypts certain types of files mounted or stored on local network drives using RSA public key encryption, keeping the private key only on the malware control servers.ĬryptoLocker encrypts files to a level that makes them unrecoverable, leaving victims with only two options to regain access to their files: pay the ransom (with no real guarantee that payment will actually release the files) or restore them from backup copies. It is executed when the victim opens the attached ZIP file by entering the password included in the message and tries to open the contained PDF.ĬryptoLocker takes advantage of the default Windows behavior of hiding the extension from file names to mask the true. The Trojan spreads as an email attachment and through a P2P file sharing botnet.


Once installed, CryptoLocker encrypts certain files detected on the infected computer and displays a ransom note on the screen, asking for hundreds of dollars in bitcoins to receive the decryption key. It is programmed to attack Microsoft Windows systems and block access to files until a ransom is paid to the malware authors. The malware was further refined in 2017, when it bothered many small and medium-sized businesses by nailing their employees’ computers.ĬryptoLocker is a type of ransomware designed to infect computers with a Trojan.

It was identified for the first time at the end of 2013 and, according to estimates, its ascent was a record: because it managed to extort as much as 27 million dollars in just two months of life.

Cybersecurity, Cyber Attack The CryptoLocker ransomwareĬryptoLocker is a ransomware capable of blocking documents on your computer by encrypting them with a password and making it impossible to open files, a malicious software that infects Windows operating systems.
