In 15 years of business J & J Systems has seen few destructive viruses that are able to render a business helpless.

But now there is a new threat….

CryptoLocker Ransomware Virus – Most virus protection when kept up to date is stringent enough to keep the worst virus damage to a minimum.

We have encountered numerous small Adware infections & most infections are easily resolved; or a single machine reinstalled to resolve the multiple issues created by malicious software downloads.

However this month we have seen two instances of a virus slipping past the defences of Anti Virus protection. Often disguised within an innocuous file attachment to subsequently infect machines in a serious and damaging manner.

CryptoLocker Ransomware Virus will encrypt users’ files rendering them unusable.  It encrypts .doc, .xls, .jpg, and .dwg files, and attacks network shares.

The Virus is spread by a multiple range of carriers, but in the UK many appear to be emails originating from Companies House. It infects computers through other legitimate-looking email, often posing as FedEx or UPS attachments.

The existence of malware such as Cryptolocker reinforces the need to back up your files both on business computers and on home machines.  There is no way to decrypt your files without paying the ransom. The alternative is a full restore to the last backup of your files.

However, a local backup may not be enough in some instances, as Cryptolocker may even go after backups located on a network drive connected to an infected PC.

The safest form of backup is an external unattached drive, or cloud backup solution.

If you want to avoid infection –

Never Open Attachments from people you do not know

Do not Open Attachments from people you do know but that have strange names or you are not expecting them

Dont Open Attachments from UPS, FEDEX, Inland Revnue, or Companies House – Linked in or any other authority or business.

If you are worried about your Anti Virus security, contact the Office on 01227 371375