An especially troublesome virus called CryptoLocker (aka ransomware CryptoLocker) has recently made the news and is something you should take steps to protect yourself and your data against.
In short, if your computer or server gets infected with CryptoLocker, it will quietly start encrypting all files making them inaccessible to you. This includes files on unprotected shared folders on servers or other computers. The virus has access to whatever you have access to.
The virus then asks you to pay money to (hopefully) get the decryption information from its makers and tells you if you don’t pay your information will be lost forever. Remember, you are dealing with criminals, paying the ransom is risky and there is no guarantee it will work.
CryptoLocker is normally spread using an email attachment, but can also spread by visiting infected websites. Payroll reports, bank records, and account verification notices are frequently the subject of the email or attachment name, although other subjects and attachment names can be used.
Swick Technologies has the following advice:
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