Trojan horse holds computers to ransom

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2005

PARIS (AFP) — Software protection companies are warning that a vicious new form of cyber-attack known as "ransomware" is threatening computers by encrypting documents and demanding money for them to be decrypted.

Symantec, a manufacturer of anti-virus programs, said on Wednesday on its website (http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/trojan.pgpcoder.html) that the attacking program is a "Trojan horse" that enters the computer via holes in the victim's web browser, scans a hard drive and encrypts any text-based documents that it finds.

Unlike a virus, a Trojan horse does not replicate from machine to machine.

If it installs successfully, the new threat wipes out text files then displays a ransom note demanding 200 dollars (153 euros) to supply decryption...