RANSOMWARE

By now most of you have heard, or read about Trojans that are called "Ransomware", like the infamous FBI screen currently infecting computers. They call it ransomware because they have kidnapped your computer under the pretense you have, or, are now doing something illegal on the web.

The only way to get access again, according to the ransomware screen is to pay the amount of money they are demanding. If you think about it, to some extent this beats a real kidnapping -

• You don't have take out a loan to pay it.
• No wiretaps or having to come up with enough food to feed all the police in your living room.
• And you won't have to meet in some remote or seedy part of town not knowing for sure if you'll come back alive.

But some things don't change; you get the FBI screen and the ransom information on that screen while your mind begins to race...

"Did someone hack my wireless network and do something illegal?"

"I know the government needs money, but is this their alternative to raising taxes?"

and finally, those dark, grim thoughts...

"I hope they won't hurt my computer"

"What if I pay the ransom and find out after-the-fact that my PC is dead?"

"What about the Stockholm syndrome? Will it's memory be damaged?"

Now ransomware has taken it up a notch and actually speaks to you, in whatever language you speak! [ed. - Hmm, I wonder what happens if you're bilingual? Will it alternate languages after each word?] Now that is scary, and you should read Computer World's article about it HERE.

In the meantime, I hope you all realize if your computer does become kidnapped/ransomed, not to pay it. Call someone that can remove it from your PC, like.....SugarlandPC! [ed. - I don't know why, but that's the first name that popped into my head].

Surf safely -

'Nuff Said,
Brian