Ransom ware targeting Macs

[Matata]

For those of you who are download and share peeps: http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-users-beware-first-live-ransomware-targeting-mac-found-in-the-wild/

 

[ame]

This is basically a side effect of those torrenting sites.

 

[kenny]

This is basically a side effect of those torrenting sites.

I had to Google Torrenting sites.

Apparently 'Torrent' is a protocol that makes downloading (IOW stealing) copywrited stuff easier and faster.

Somehow many people, especially young people, think stealing music/games/movies is not stealing because it's now so easy to do using the Internet.
When ransomwear is used to punish thieves I'm not going to cry a tear.

But when ransomwear is used to extort money from innocent people or companies it's a very serious crime.

 

[ame]

This is basically a side effect of those torrenting sites.

I had to Google Torrenting sites.

Apparently 'Torrent' is a protocol that makes downloading (IOW stealing) copywrited stuff easier and faster.

Somehow many people, especially young people, think stealing music/games/movies is not stealing because it's now so easy to do using the Internet.
When ransomwear is used to punish thieves I'm not going to cry a tear.

But when ransomwear is used to extort money from innocent people or companies it's a very serious crime.

Ransomware happens regardless of whether you torrent. You can get an email that contains a link to something that is ransomware. And it can be written to spread like a plague thru networks too.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I have had this happen to me. I had to take my computer to apple and they removed it. They froze up my computer and said I had to call their service center and pay them to fix it. I didn't call. Just took the computer to the Apple store and they fixed it no charge.

 

[ksinger]

Not a download and share person, but I had this happen to me 2 days before the announcement.

I got my first (probably last) Mac less than a year ago, and long story short, I've had connectivity issues from the git go. (I won't bore you with all the troubleshooting I've done, OS upgrade, etc, blah, blah, barf). Anyway, a co-worker told me that he uses Chrome. I was like, cool, I'll try Chrome. So I got Chrome and was using it with no issue when BLAM!

YOUR MACHINE HAS BEEN INFECTED! CALL THIS NUMBER TO HAVE IT SCANNED AND REPAIRED!! I couldn't even get Chrome to close.

So, not being a newb, I did a bit of sleuthing (on my PC) and was able to force a shutdown of my hijacked Chrome without having to click the message. I haven't used it since.

So, I'm back to Safari.

 

[ame]

Yea I am not a fan of Chrome in general. I use it a lot for work bec one site we use requires it, and I just do not trust that it has any security whatsoever.

 

[kenny]

This is basically a side effect of those torrenting sites.

I had to Google Torrenting sites.

Apparently 'Torrent' is a protocol that makes downloading (IOW stealing) copywrited stuff easier and faster.

Somehow many people, especially young people, think stealing music/games/movies is not stealing because it's now so easy to do using the Internet.
When ransomwear is used to punish thieves I'm not going to cry a tear.

But when ransomwear is used to extort money from innocent people or companies it's a very serious crime.

Ransomware happens regardless of whether you torrent. You can get an email that contains a link to something that is ransomware. And it can be written to spread like a plague thru networks too.

Which is why my post ended in, "But when ransomwear is used to extort money from innocent people or companies it's a very serious crime."

 

[CJ2008]

Thanks for posting this Matata.