Blog / Amway’s Evil Twin Sister
The latest version is courtesy a ransomware virus. Popcorn Time is a new ransomware virus that encrypts files and holds the victim for a ransom payment of 1 bitcoin (about $1,000 CAD) to unlock the files. Nothing new here …Except there is another new way to pay. You can refer a friend. That’s right, if you share the virus with two other people and they end up paying the ransom, the hackers unlock your files for free. Besides the usual rant about the depravity of humankind, there is another – more sinister problem. In fact, a whole suite of problems.
You could now be receiving virus-infected attachments from trusted friends and colleagues. It’s going to be much more difficult to discern good Email from bad.
If you’re one of those desperate individuals who wants to send the virus to colleagues to avoid paying the ransom, just think of the legal mess you might be in by doing so. I’m not sure if it’s yet regarded as criminal activity, but it certainly could open you up to civil litigation.
And finally at the bottom of the food chain is the malevolent person who wants to send these files on to acquaintances just because they CAN do damage. It’s just a different type of assault.
Protection from Popcorn Time is no different than other forms of ransomware; good Anti-Virus software on ALL devices and servers, a business-class firewall with dynamic-filtering, good offsite and tested backups, and user education – are the most effective defense.
I long for the simpler days when Uncle Ron came over and I had to sit through 2 hours of The Benefits of Amway. For now, I just won’t open any Emails from him.
Please contact us or your Primary Tech if you would like more information on how to protect your organization from malicious ransomware attacks.
