There is a particularly devious type of malicious software that locks users out of their own computer systems until an individual agrees to pay a ransom to the hackers. In these cases, the FBI has surprisingly suggested just ponying up the dough.
It's not the type of advice one would typically expected from the FBI, but that's exactly what was recommended by Joseph Bonavolonta, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's CYBER and Counterintelligence Program Boston office.
"The ransomware is that good," said Bonavolonta at the 2015 Cyber Security Summit in Boston, as quoted by Security Ledger. "To be honest, we often advise people just to pay the ransom."
Yeah, it's RT, but I did a search, and that or similar headlines popped up on dozens of news sites. I clicked a couple of them, and the stories match. Try this one,
https://thehackernews.com/2015/10/fbi-ransomware-malware.html
Personally, I can almost certainly afford to nuke and reinstall, unless they get my RAID array. Then - I'd have to think hard.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 29 2015, @02:55PM
They use to say the same about aircraft hi-jackings... until 911.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 29 2015, @04:27PM
Your right, they could fly those encrypted files right into the side of a building! We need TSA on our internet connection giving full packet scans and filtering out the terroristic packages!
We could expand this by filtering out all sorts of unapproved packages after they are all probed deeply! We could put all suspicious packages on a no transmit list and give other government approved packages a fast lane into our networks without any probing!