Beware the CryptoLocker virus... and all other malware.

My apologies for the following long post, but if you surf the Internet (and I assume you do if you're reading this blog), then it may save you a lot of pain, aggravation, and $300 in extortion money.

For those of you unaware, the CryptoLocker trojan virus is a nasty piece of work.  Once activated on your PC, it will encrypt your personal files and then demand up to $300 for the private decryption key.  Even if you remove the virus, your files will remain encrypted and the likelihood of you or anyone finding the decryption key is somewhere between zero and zilch.   Even if you cave and pay the $300 extortion fee and get the decryption key, unless you protect yourself, you're at a high-risk of another such attack (because it worked the first time).  See http://www.geek.com/apps/disk-encryptiing-cryptolocker-malware-demands-300-to-decrypt-your-files-1570402/ for more info, or google "CryptoLocker".

Last night, I was asked to help a family member whose PC was infected.  There was almost nothing I could do, except advise them to take their PC to a repair shop to have the virus removed.  (I could have done this if the relative's PC wasn't in another city.)  Even then, the files will almost certainly remain encrypted.  Not being technically savvy, my relative did not appear to have an up-to-date virus scanner, and may not have had any of the affected files backed-up.

As is often the case in these situations, prevention the only practical defense against CryptoLocker (or other virus and malware lurking around the Internet).  To wit,

1. Install an active virus scanner with a valid subscription (license) on every PC.

By active, I mean a virus scanner that runs in the background on your PC and scans every webpage you visit, email you receive, and file you download.  Several well-known commercial ones are available; I use Norton Internet Security, which requires subscription renewal every year but covers all the PCs in my home.  For me, $50 a year is a small price to pay for peace-of-mind and protection.  There are also a number good freeware virus scanners available; see PC Mag's article http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388652,00.asp.

2. Backup your personal files regularly.

By regularly, I mean at least weekly.  I recommend everything in your My Documents folder and everything in your (hidden) AppData folder.  Back them up to CDs or DVDs, a second hard drive, an external hard drive or sufficiently large USB drive, or back them up to the Internet (e.g. Google Drive or similar on-line backup vault).  Of course, with online backup, you will be using some of your monthly download bandwidth.  I use a freeware app called SyncBack to do daily backups to a 2nd hard drive on my desktop PC, and I also use it to do do monthly backups to an external 1TB USB drive.  I agree that backups to CDs and DVDs are a big PITA, but the external USB drives are less than $100.

BTW, you should backup your files for other reasons.  I've had two HDs fail on me in the last 10 years.  Luckily, my dual-HD configuration in my desktop PC meant no loss of my personal data.

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If you're not willing to do these two pretty basic things, then you probably shouldn't be using the Internet, or at least, you should get use to being victimized.  Fifteen years ago, there were perhaps 10,000 viruses being scanned by the average virus scanner.  Today, Norton Internet Security is telling me it is tracking over 201 million pieces of malware.

Some of you may balk at the costs I mention above, e.g. $50 per year for a virus scanner subscription, and up to $100 for an external HD or another internal HD for your PC, especially since you probably only paid $500 for your PC.  Keep in mind, you're NOT protecting the PC per se; you ARE protecting your personal data.  Things like wedding videos and financial records.  You pay more to protect and maintain your vehicle.  The $50 per year anti-virus subscription works out to less than 14-cents per day or less than $1 per week.  The electricity to run your PC likely costs much more.

The Internet is a wonderful, nasty community filled with saints and sinners, heroes and thieves.  Be careful where you surf and what you click.

P.S. Install a virus scanner on your smartphone too.  I use AVG freeware.

P.P.S. Yes, I realize that this posting has little to do with high-speed internet access in rural Ottawa, the Outtaouais, and the Valley.