We want to alert you about a new strain of malware going around called Cryptolocker. This malware encrypts the files on your computer so that you are no longer able to open them, and generates a pop-up message demanding that users pay a ransom in order to be able to access them again.
This malware is particularly aggressive and the only way to recover files on an infected system it is to restore them from backup. Major anti-virus software companies and other authorities have been working on a solution, but due to the nature of the file encryption method used, obtaining the decryption key needed to reverse the damage is extremely difficult and currently there is no way to fix infected files other than restoring them from a backup.
We want to remind users to make sure that they are saving their important files to the server and network and not to their desktops or C drive. Files saved on the server are backed up daily but there is no guarantee that files saved on your C drive can be recovered if this infection is encountered. Also, please be extremely careful when browsing the web and opening email attachments; never open .zip files or .exe files or attachments you receive from unknown sources.
Think you may already be infected? Call us today and let our IT professionals help.
