Apparently there has been a united crackdown, one of the biggest ever international collaborations between the major crime agencies to prevent a computer virus, on a new kind of hacking called "ransomware".
The Cryptolocker software locked PC users out of their machines, encrypting all their files and demands payment for decryption. It was also closely linked to a second virus called Gameover Zeus (GOZeuS) which was designed to steal banking log-in details.
First, The Guardian reports:
Global police operation disrupts aggressive Cryptolocker virus
The FBI and crime agencies from across the globe say they have temporarily disrupted one of the most aggressive computer viruses ever seen but are now warning victims they have two weeks to protect their computers before the hackers seize them back.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has told British internet users that they have a two-week window to protect themselves from Cryptolocker, after working with the FBI, Europol and other law enforcement bodies to temporarily seize control of the global network of infected computers.
The virus has now been disabled but the crime agencies say it is a race against time before the hackers circumvent their block.
Little more than that the virus has now been disabled and a warning that victims have two weeks to protect their computers before the hackers seize them back. There's no information on how users are to battle this "threat against time", and only cautiionary, "Affected users are being advised to update their operating system software and security software, and also to “think twice before clicking on links or attachments in unsolicited emails”.
Then from this side of the pond, NYT reports:
Battling Destructive Computer Viruses, Agents Seize Networks Used by Hackers
WASHINGTON — Government agents seized control of two computer networks that are used by hackers to steal banking information and lock files on infected computers, officials in the United States and Europe said Monday, disrupting the circulation of two of the world’s most pernicious viruses, which have infected millions of computers worldwide.
The coordinated strike targeted malware known as GameOver Zeus, which is known to steal bank information and send it to overseas hackers, and CryptoLocker, which burrows into computers and encrypts personal data. The hackers then demand a ransom to unlock the files.
Over the weekend, government agents in Europe and the United States took control of the servers that operated the attacking software and identified a 30-year-old suspect from Russia, Evgeniy Bogachev, also known as Lucky12345, as the man behind the attacks, according to court documents..
Just how this was done, which networks, and where they were seized were not provided.
The Justice Department announced plans to hold a news conference Monday afternoon to discuss the operation. This may provide more detailed information. Stay tuned.
12:05 PM PT: Beginning Justice Department Deputy Attorney General James Cole Delivers Remarks at Press Conference for Gameover Zeus and Cryptolocker Operations
http://www.justice.gov/...
12:42 PM PT: CBS now reporting:
WASHINGTON -- A Russian computer hacker was accused Monday of leading a worldwide conspiracy that targeted hundreds of thousands of computers with malware, enabling his group to steal more than $100 million from business and other bank accounts.
The group led by the man, Evgeniy Bogachev, infected computers with software that captured passwords and account numbers and stole millions of dollars from victims, U.S. authorities said. The members of the gang come from Russia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.