Ransomware scares victims with child sex abuse images

SophosLabs has received a number of disturbing reports from German computer users about a ransomware malware attack that is locking computer screens, and demanding payment of a fine.

Like other ransomware attacks, a message appears claiming to come from the police that says that evidence gathered proves that the computer has been used to view pornography involving minors.

Unlike most attacks, however, the warning message also includes images of the purported sexual abuse of children, along with the minors’ names, dates of birth and location…

Read more in my article on the Naked Security website.

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Graham Cluley is a veteran of the cybersecurity industry, having worked for a number of security companies since the early 1990s when he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows. Now an independent analyst, he regularly makes media appearances and is an international public speaker on the topic of cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, or drop him an email.