Ransomware the virus that asks for ransom

Someone has already renamed it the "Police virus". He doesn't shoot with panthers and flashing lights, but to travel fast he uses the net: it is an insidious computer virus that "takes the computer hostage". Then, a screen with a fake police force logo requires the payment of a sum of money to receive the system unlock code.

"The virus has long been known. It has involved both the Postal Police and the Guardia di Finanza and the Carabinieri: our offices are working in the territories for the investigations, we hope to solve the problem early by identifying the authors », explains to the Adnkronos Ivano Gabrielli, Chief Police Officer of the Postal Police and Communications and responsible for the Ps.

On the net, he explains, the virus "has the name" ransomware ", the ransom price. Blocks the computer from booting, but is not damaged. A screen appears and the user is usually in front of the logo of the police body that is chosen for the scam, accompanied by a request for a price to pay to unlock the PC ". The typical wording is this: "Following investigations, his PC was blocked" .

Then foreign bank details are provided, ensuring that once the transfer is received, the system is unlocked. "It is false both the news and the remedy -register Commissioner Gabrielli- and obviously we must not make any kind of transfer, for any reason".

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In fact, underlines Gabrielli, the virus "can be easily deleted with some simple operations". First of all, explains the person in charge of the police station of the police, «it is necessary to turn off the computer in a mechanical way, removing the power supply. When restarting the PC a command page appears in Dos ».

«At that point - the Postal Police still suggests - it is sufficient to make a temporary start, with the F8 key. The PC thus bypasses the command of the virus and the user, choosing the start button and the programs, will find himself in front of a file that in the most common hypothesis has the name wpbto.dll . Selecting it, you can drag it to the bin », solving the problem.

The invitation of the Postal and Communications Police is in any case to equip themselves with an antivirus to be kept up to date, making sure that the license has not expired and therefore that you are without protection, to browse through the preparation of a user account and not with administrative rights and above all not to pay anything to anyone.