# ransomware **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 23, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424 "2016-12-23T03:13:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/1 "2016-12-23T03:13:04Z")
I accidentally clicked one of the banner strips along the bottom and it was ransomware. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/2 "2016-12-23T03:45:10Z")
[ol] [li]Which banner ad?[/li][li]Never pay ransomware.[/li][li]Go to a reputable site to remove the ransomware.[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/3 "2016-12-23T03:51:50Z")
That’s a pain, I’ve fallen foul of that myself in the past. I trust you didn’t get the full-on trojan or virus version which is trickier to get rid of? Normally it’s just a javascript, very annoying but harmless. I use the FF addon [Noscript](https://noscript.net/) so I don’t have to put up with this crap now. It blocks all scripts unless you want them to run. BTW this stuff is all over the net so it’s unsurprising that it’ll turn up on the SDMB too from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/4 "2016-12-23T04:00:26Z")
I hope u have to pay an old white woman. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/5 "2016-12-23T09:45:44Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@madsircool](#): > > I hope u have to pay an old white woman. 😛 Do not drag things from other threads into ATMB unless they pertain to the topic being discussed. This is especially true of Pit threads. If you have a problem with another user, take it to the Pit (or in this case, keep it in the Pit). ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/6 "2016-12-23T10:13:49Z")
My apologies. I won’t do it again. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/7 "2016-12-23T11:04:07Z")
I use a firefox browser when I access this site and it seems to be working fine. I used to love Google Chrome but it has become a crappy, unstable browser thanks to all of its plugins. I still use Chrome on other sites but when it comes to blocking ads and malware traps, Firefox has regained the status as best browser in my view. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/8 "2016-12-23T15:01:44Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I use a firefox browser when I access this site and it seems to be working fine. I used to love Google Chrome but it has become a crappy, unstable browser thanks to all of its plugins. I still use Chrome on other sites but when it comes to blocking ads and malware traps, Firefox has regained the status as best browser in my view. Thanks. I’ll give it a shot. I always thought I could avoid ransomed if I stayed away from clockwork and porn sites but I guessential the mark of progress cannot be halted ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/9 "2016-12-23T15:03:14Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > [ol] > [li]Which banner ad?[/li][li]Never pay ransomware.[/li][li]Go to a reputable site to remove the ransomware.[/li][/ol] No idea on the banner ad. I shut off my computer. ---
**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:** [December 23, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/10 "2016-12-23T16:20:21Z")
Clockwork? This obviously means something different than gears, springs, and weights on chains, to be mentioned in the same breath as porn sites. ---
**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:** [December 23, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/11 "2016-12-23T16:37:22Z")
autocorrect error? ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/12 "2016-12-23T19:04:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Clockwork? This obviously means something different than gears, springs, and weights on chains, to be mentioned in the same breath as porn sites. Obviously you’ve never come across a certain website that sometimes features animated sequences about robots having relations with women. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/13 "2016-12-23T19:44:19Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I used to love Google Chrome but it has become a crappy, unstable browser thanks to all of its plugins. Aren’t all of the plugins added by you to Chrome? If it seems unstable, remove all of them and start with a clean Chrome installation. Does it still seem unstable? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/14 "2016-12-24T05:51:38Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > [ol] > > [li]Never pay ransomware.[/li] > [/ol] Instead pay the membership fee so your computer doesn’t get infected. The joy of irony ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/15 "2016-12-24T06:25:44Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I use a firefox browser when I access this site and it seems to be working fine. I used to love Google Chrome but it has become a crappy, unstable browser thanks to all of its plugins. I still use Chrome on other sites but when it comes to blocking ads and malware traps, Firefox has regained the status as best browser in my view. I dumped FF because it had become so sluggish with bloat. I went with Chrome specifically because it was lean. I do have plugins in Chrome, but I put them there. A Doper turned me on to uBlock Origin and I’ve been pretty happy with it. Lean and fast and lately it’s been defeating the fake ransomware popunders that seize control of your browser. More and more websites are trying to make me feel guilty for using an adblocker. That’s like a prostitute making you feel guilty for wearing a condom. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ransomware/775424/16 "2016-12-24T06:28:11Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Instead pay the membership fee so your computer doesn’t get infected. > > The joy of irony Or use an adblocker. The joy of zero crappy ads - priceless.