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Researchers from MalwareHunterTeam have discovered a new strain of ransomware, called nRansom. Just when you thought the internet couldn’t get any seedier, hackers have to go and... New Ransomware Demands Nude Photos to Unlock Your Computer

Researchers from MalwareHunterTeam have discovered a new strain of ransomware, called nRansom.

Just when you thought the internet couldn’t get any seedier, hackers have to go and prove you wrong. Ransomware attacks have been on the rise in the past year or so, and have sought out targets who are likely to pay up. Hospitals, doctors’ offices, and schools have been particularly hard-hit, largely because they face astronomical fines and potential lawsuits for the violation of confidentiality and disruption to care. They’re a veritable cash-cow for hackers who know these victims might just quietly pay the ransom rather than take the risk of discovery.

Now, however, researchers from MalwareHunterTeam have uncovered a particularly nasty form of ransomware that not only works with a different mechanism, but also has a far different end goal. Rather than encrypting your files and requiring your cooperation to receive the unencryption code, nRansom effectively works as a blocker, preventing access to the computer itself. There’s another catch: the ransom is nude photos, and not just any nudes…photos of yourself.

NRansom ransomeware Demands Nude Photos to Unlock Your Computer

Naked images likely used to shame victims and extort either more nudes or money.

Help is here

Fortunately, Kaspersky users already have a mechanism to prevent the ransomware from installing: “Kaspersky Internet Security detects nRansom as Trojan-Ransom.MSIL.Agent.zz and neutralizes it right away. In case the blocker has somehow sneaked onto your PC, you can unblock the computer by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F4 simultaneously. It’s necessary to run a full scan of your system after that.”

Don’t risk it

It’s important to understand that any ransom to hackers – whether monetary or otherwise – is in no way a guarantee that your files or your computer will be unlocked. In fact, it could have the opposite effect in that the hackers have hit upon a gullible, willing victim. There is no way of knowing where the nude ransom photos will show up, and no reason to think the hackers will stop demanding photos or money once the request is granted.

Have you been working out?

By the way, the perpetrators claim to have the means to figure out if the photos are really you or not, so good luck passing off some images you found on the ninth page of a Google search for “free nudes”.

Get protected! Download the latest Kapersky security software now – here on FileHippo.