If your computer is infected with this malware, you’ll notice two things.Ī red banner will show up on your computer monitor warning you that your files are encrypted – but if you send money (usually $300) to a given email address within a specified time period, you will be given the decryption key to restore your files. Having malware already on your computer that the criminals use as a backdoor to copy CryptoLocker onto your computer. Opening an email attachment with an infected file or downloading a malicious file from a website.īrowsing a malicious website that exploits vulnerabilities in an out-of-date version of Java. There are three ways that you might get this virus. The only way to get your files back is to pay the ransom or restore the files from backup. While you can remove the virus from your computer, there are no patches to undo the encryption damage. The virus does not reveal itself until after it has encrypted your data and your computer is on the internet so that the virus can identify your system to the encryption server run by the attackers.Įven up-to-date anti-virus applications do not defend against CryptoLocker. This scheme encrypts key data files on a computer and all the network drives you have access to, making them inaccessible until you pay a ransom to obtain a decryption key. CryptoLocker Virus Holds Your Data Files for RansomĬryptoLocker is a form of malicious malware known as cryptoviral extortion ransomware.

What is a crypto locker