Scammers take Web mail hostage
,----[ Quote ]
| Such hostage taking is a new form of cyberextortion. Previous attacks
| have used malicious software known as ransomware that encrypts certain
| files on victims' computers and then demands payment for decryption.
| The blackmailer threatens to delete the files if no payment is
| received.
|
| "We have only had one report. This very first one that we have
| found out about," Hubbard said.
|
| The Hotmail user's credentials could also have been compromised
| through a phishing scam. However, Hubbard said that the unidentified
| victim believes that's not what happened.
|
| Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment.
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http://news.com.com/2061-10789_3-6142790.html
Related:
Beware of ransomware, firm warns
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| Hackers are using sophisticated ransomware, which is malicious code, to
| hijack a company's user files, encrypt them and then demand payment in
| exchange for the decryption key, Kaspersky Labs said on Monday.
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http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6097741.html
Woman targeted by web hackers
,----[ Quote ]
| Helen Barrow feared she would lose coursework for her degree
| A woman from Greater Manchester has become a victim of an internet scam
| in which hackers hijack computer files and blackmail owners to get them
| back.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/5034384.stm
|
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