# New Computer Virus **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344 "2013-11-07T18:04:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/21 "2013-11-07T20:31:56Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > And **KarlGauss** , do you really think they’ll unlock your files if you pay? I wouldn’t count on it. > [@Inner Stickler](#): > > (asks much the same question) One of the linked articles notes that, to this point, the bastards aren’t being bastards about it, and do you send you the key once you pay. It makes senses, too, when you think about it. If word got out that paying up made no difference, then no one _would_ pay and there’d be no profit in it for them. > [@yoyodyne](#): > > “too stupid to have a back up” Blame the victim, eh? I see, it’s all their fault. Do you really think it’s all about stupidity? That nothing else might be at play? That everyone has the awareness of the need to, and the ability, money, connections, confidence, etc, to back up adequately? I get it though - it’s just easier to call it stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/22 "2013-11-07T20:34:17Z")
Do I have to pay in gold at a certain location in an online MMORPG? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/23 "2013-11-07T20:35:57Z")
I think you and the article are using unjustifiably rosy glasses to look at the world and this virus. edit: Other articles I read were not willing to vouch for the claim that the hackers did hold up their end and past performance is not an indicator of future behavior. As for the impeccable logic tower of “They have to give up the key or no one would pay,” well, when was the last time you heard of a nigerian prince coming through for someone? There are plenty of people who will pay without a second thought with half the world screaming in their ear that it’s a scam. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/24 "2013-11-07T20:40:58Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > If you pay they send you the key to decrypt your files. If they didn’t their scam would be over as soon as the word got out. There’s no way for them to take more than you sent them or ruin your credit. > > Paying is an option if your files are important to you and yet you’re too stupid to have a backup. Scammers like this don’t expect or need repeat business. It costs next to nothing to set up. They only need a relative handful of successes before they’ve made a tidy profit and can move on to the next scam. If they get your money they don’t need you any more, if they don’t it’s no skin off their noses. Scam would be over when the word gets out? If that were true there would be no more Nigerian scams. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/25 "2013-11-07T20:42:50Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > I get it though - it’s just easier to call it stupidity. “Stupidity” is a strong word, but let’s be honest: there have been one of these types of attacks making the news a couple times a month for the last two decades. That’s hundreds of news stories. Every one of those articles says: “install a virus checker, and keep backups.” Computer viruses, particularly in the PC world, are at this point basically a force of nature. At what point _are_ we allowed to say “being able to protect yourself is a basic requirement of using a computer in this era,” and not be “blaming the victim?” It’s not like we’re asking them to set up a firewall or produce valid subnet routing tables: this is “click a couple of times to install something” and “either pay a service to back stuff up for you (another couple of clicks), or just burn a bloody disk/USB stick with your data once in a while.” ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/26 "2013-11-07T20:48:08Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > The articles I read were saying it can even target backups on shared network drives and the like. If I have an automatic wireless backup to an external hard drive, would that be secure or should I be backing up to something that ultimately is totally offline? If the shared drive is mapped to a drive letter on your PC then it will include it. If you access the shared drive via UNC (\server\folder) then the share is ok (for now). ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/27 "2013-11-07T20:49:51Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Scam would be over when the word gets out? If that were true there would be no more Nigerian scams. That’s a fair point. **TimeWinder** : I appreciate what you’ve said. Whenever something this happens I think of my ex-wife, or her mother, both of whom are perfect examples of computer/internet users who have almost no clue about anything like viruses, back-up, and so forth. I’ve made sure they have stuff like Malwarebytes and Iantivirus installed but beyond that (and general principles of safe browsing), there’s nothing. They are naive but not stupid. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/28 "2013-11-07T20:52:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What does paying have to do with getting your files back? Your options are to lose your files, or to lose your files and probably thousands of dollars and your credit rating. > > What, don’t tell me you expect the people running these things to be honest, do you? They are even performing tech support to assist with some that had problems decrypting. They have been monitoring message boards and some people have been able to communicate with them that way to resolve issues. ---
**Author:** ![Rainbow\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f19dbf/32.png) [@Rainbow\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbow_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/29 "2013-11-07T21:01:19Z")
Anyone know how to track a framer virus? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/30 "2013-11-07T21:11:50Z")
So, I should trust them because they’ve been such nice, upstanding guys? No, wait, they’re not; they’re shaking down people for at least hundreds of bucks a pop. If I judge them by their past performance, then I judge them as evil scamming scum, and so my expectation is that they’re not going to play fair. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/31 "2013-11-07T21:20:38Z")
There is something darkly humorous about malicious hackers providing better customer support than most legal computer service providers, you must admit, though. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/32 "2013-11-07T21:23:15Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Do I have to pay in gold at a certain location in an online MMORPG? Actually, bitcoin online. For people who are not living on the internet, bitcoin is something new and different; so the person I heard about with the virus (client of an associate) they were having trouble rounding up $300 in bitcoin. Stupid? Of course not, neither is driving long distance without a spare tire. Neither is leaving your wallet on the dash of the car. Neither is leaving the house unlocked, or not wearing a lifejacket in the boat. As long as nothing goes wong, heck, you’re OK. Seriously, a 1TB drive costs less than $100. If your digital life consists of more than your high scores, you should make a backup. Put the device at the other end of your house, or the garage, or safety deposit box, or somewhere where a fire around the PC won’t also ruin the backup. (When I get home I’ll go unplug my backup drive from the PC, honest). ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/33 "2013-11-07T21:31:13Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Blame the victim, eh? I see, it’s all their fault. Do you really think it’s all about stupidity? That nothing else might be at play? That everyone has the awareness of the need to, and the ability, money, connections, confidence, etc, to back up adequately? I get it though - it’s just easier to call it stupidity. If you have files on you computer that are important to you and are not aware the hard drives can fail and they can be backed up then yes, you’re too stupid to have a computer. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/34 "2013-11-07T21:32:31Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So, I should trust them because they’ve been such nice, upstanding guys? No, wait, they’re not; they’re shaking down people for at least hundreds of bucks a pop. If I judge them by their past performance, then I judge them as evil scamming scum, and so my expectation is that they’re not going to play fair. But they are, if fact, providing keys for money. If you don’t believe that, don’t pay. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/35 "2013-11-07T21:39:21Z")
It’s Michelangelo all over again! ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/36 "2013-11-07T21:41:06Z")
Even if they make with the keys, “Pay them the money they’re both illegally and immorally extorting from you and they’ll give you your files back,” is a _bad fix_. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/37 "2013-11-07T21:52:48Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Even if they make with the keys, “Pay them the money they’re both illegally and immorally extorting from you and they’ll give you your files back,” is a _bad fix_. Agreed, but it’s a cheap lesson on the importance of backups. I know two people who paid drive recovery companies to recover their un-backed-up data after the drives failed - one was $3000, the other $1800. ---
**Author:** ![dataguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eada6e/32.png) [@dataguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dataguy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/38 "2013-11-07T22:23:11Z")
Okay, assume you have cloud backup. And assume that something like CryptoLocker encrypts your files. What stops the backup program from uploading the encrypted files to your backup location? Does it encrypt the file names too, or something, so that they don’t overwrite the original files? ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/39 "2013-11-07T22:40:10Z")
Which malware/spyware/anti-virus programs are effective at preventing or blocking a crypto\*\*\* something infection? ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344/40 "2013-11-07T22:46:33Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Actually, bitcoin online. > > For people who are not living on the internet, bitcoin is something new and different; so the person I heard about with the virus (client of an associate) they were having trouble rounding up $300 in bitcoin. > > Stupid? Of course not, neither is driving long distance without a spare tire. Neither is leaving your wallet on the dash of the car. Neither is leaving the house unlocked, or not wearing a lifejacket in the boat. As long as nothing goes wong, heck, you’re OK. > > Seriously, a 1TB drive costs less than $100. If your digital life consists of more than your high scores, you should make a backup. Put the device at the other end of your house, or the garage, or safety deposit box, or somewhere where a fire around the PC won’t also ruin the backup. > > (When I get home I’ll go unplug my backup drive from the PC, honest). I keep a couple of external had drives. Switch one on and back up files to it then turn it off again. Next time I use the other drive. For day-to-day stuff a couple of 32Gig thumb drives. Also several different clouds and rotate between five computers, not networked so an attack can never infect more than two machines at any one time. I have had attempts by these guys but they failed miserably as I use different variants of Linux and just deleted their page. I do have a locked XP machine from a workmate from a similar attack - recovered his files before the damage was too severe and once he has verified that all files are correct the machine will be wiped and Linux installed, his files restored. I have never tried it but did read some time back about a similar thing, the person affected just re-encrypted the files with a different encryption system that restored the files to their original unencrypted state. Sheer luck but there may be something to try there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-virus/673344.md?page=3)