It has been reported that Humberside Police are warning people to beware of a new email scam by criminals claiming to be from Royal Mail. They've targeted businesses and personal users, persuading the victim to click on a link within the email that infects their computer with CryptoLocker ransomware. Barracuda Networks’ Wieland Alge on the story reacts:
By Wieland Alge, VP and GM, EMEA at Barracuda Networks says: “Attacks appearing to be from recognised brands such as Royal Mail trick the user in to believing the infected email is from a trusted source. This makes the chances of a successful attack considerably higher and poses a risk to all organisations. With attacks being directed at personal and business email addresses, staff could fall victim whilst reading their emails at work, leaving corporate networks open to attack.
“Once the victim has opened the infected link, Cryptolocker attacks and encrypts data on users’ computers, making their files inaccessible until a fine is paid. There are often time limits added to these demands, making any other resolution seem unfeasible.
“There is no easy option when it comes to protection against sophisticated ransomware like Cryptolocker. However, the two obvious options are good anti-malware packages and backups. That said, many victims of ransomware had backups, but not fully operationalised ones. To achieve ‘real backup’ users must be backing up on a daily basis with regular restore tests.”