By Justine Anjanique P. Jordan
SECURITY software company Trend Micro advised computer users to be wary of one of the “most sophisticated” threats to information security.
Ransomware, a threat that limits users from accessing their files until they pay, not only affects users but enterprises as well, said Macky Cruz, the technical communications manager of TrendLabs, the research and development arm of Trend Micro.
In a discussion on Tuesday, she said that it operates on the components of fear, data loss and money in order to sway users into falling into the malware’s trap.
“There are cases where people actually pay because they’re afraid the FBI’s [Federal Bureau of Investigation] on their case,” she said, explaining that the malware uses certain documents, such as pornographic material, to scare the users into thinking they’ve been caught by intelligence agencies.
Cruz added that ransomware has evolved over the years, saying the malware today does not only make use of zipped files but also advanced algorithms that pressures the user to pay for the “private key” to gain back access to their files.
In one case study in the Philippines, an employee at a legal department in Makati City was victimized by this threat through an e-mail, receiving a ransom note after leaving his device unattended.
Trend Micro Senior Pre-Sales Consultant Christina Tee-Bautista said the company offers the OfficeScan11 Service Pack 1, an antimalware program by Trend Micro that will prevent ransomware by detecting new malware trends, limiting access of shared documents and monitoring programs in a device. She also said backing up one’s files regularly, bookmarking favorite web sites, verifying e-mail sources, and updating security software are other ways to prevent the malware from damaging devices.
Paul Oliviera, technical communications manager of TrendLabs, noted the value of the information put into the public space of the Web and that cybercriminals are always on the lookout for it.
“We are now at the digital age where cybercriminals are empowered and our information is the currency we have,” he said.