Help!!!!!!! All my files have been encrypted.

Forums › Desktop computing › Help!!!!!!! All my files have been encrypted.

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#1252913 7-Mar-2015 19:40

Ah, good old ransomware.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

richms

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#1252931 7-Mar-2015 20:09

Pay the person.

Write it off as an education expense.

The chances are good that you will get your files back. The internet is not full of people complaining that they have paid and not got their files back.

Richard rich.ms

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#1252963 7-Mar-2015 20:26

Because like kidnappers they have to follow their word. If it spreads that they encrypt, get paid but don't give the keys then people will stop paying...

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#1252964 7-Mar-2015 20:27

How does one prevent this by closing ports? Sorry for the ignorance, I don't have a server, my router had firewall enabled is that fine

MikeB4

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#1252982 7-Mar-2015 20:34

I would not trust a criminal to be suddenly honest, I would not reward a crime.paying them only encourages, don't pay.

freitasm

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#1252983 7-Mar-2015 20:35

They aren't "honest" in the moral sense. It's just business (TM).

richms

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#1252987 7-Mar-2015 20:37

Its not the port, its the app on the port that is the problem, you can foward all the ports you like to a machine not running a service and you will be fine, as all that goes back is a port unreachable.

How often do you see people asking how they can portfoward so they can access their nas or security camera or internet controled lightswitch etc from offsite?

When was that server software cloned from the open source stuff that it is probably based on? In the case of linux based CCTV NVR's the answer seems to be many years. Same for most NAS's etc.

That software has bugs. Many published ones in the case of some things. Probably even more unpublished ones that someone has just found and then scans the internet for hosts running that software.

Worse is software that opens up ports on your router thru upnp to the whole internet the whole time rather than doing them on demand. Use an app with a known backdoor, and let the whole internet access it and you will get hacked.

Basically if its not a real server that you plan for the whole internet to access you shouldnt put it on the internet for everyone to access. If you do, people will get in and this happens.

Richard rich.ms

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MikeB4

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#1252988 7-Mar-2015 20:37

freitasm: They aren't "honest" in the moral sense. It's just business (TM).

The same could be said about a fence or a drug dealer. It a criminal act, rewarding it will encourage them to continue.

richms

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#1252990 7-Mar-2015 20:38

KiwiNZ: I would not trust a criminal to be suddenly honest, I would not reward a crime.paying them only encourages, don't pay.

Sure, and when you have all your files gone we will see if you change your opinion on it.

They are not being honest in the moral sense, but they will follow thru on this because its better that there are people out there online complaining that they had to spend a few 100 _to get their files back_ then to have them complaining that they spend a few 100 and didnt get them back.

Richard rich.ms

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#1252997 7-Mar-2015 21:02

KiwiNZ:
freitasm: They aren't "honest" in the moral sense. It's just business (TM).

The same could be said about a fence or a drug dealer. It a criminal act, rewarding it will encourage them to continue.

I am not defending the criminals here. You got it wrong. What I am saying is their business model is to come with the keys because otherwise they'd have no market.

Read Spam Nation and you will understand why and how. The book shows that all those online pharmacies selling drugs are most of the times selling real medicines, not fakes. Also they have 24/7 customer service that look like work better than Vodafone's help desk as in they're quick and effective. The reason for that is because banks and credit card processors would cut their affiliation if they start having many charge backs and complaints.

Are they legal? Not at all. Do they follow a "code"? It looks like.

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#1253000 7-Mar-2015 21:04

KiwiNZ: I would not trust a criminal to be suddenly honest, I would not reward a crime.paying them only encourages, don't pay.

and then how would you recommend getting your files back?

RickW

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#1253001 7-Mar-2015 21:05

michaelmurfy: Just out of interest what software is the server running and what ports were exposed to the internet?

Hi guys,

I'm running win7 64 with all updates installed and mse for antivirus.

The only port that is open to the server is for Plex.

I was very lucky. the main thing that I was worried about were the pictures and video of my sons birth. My partner used the video camera last weekend and I thought she emptied the SD card, thankfully she didn't. The other data I can afford to loose.

Im giving the hackers the big FU and currently in the process of doing a clean install of win 7 and wiping the HDDs.

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#1253007 7-Mar-2015 21:08

Plex does open itself up to the internet via upnp by default. so I would expect that to be the culprit. And plex users are the most likly to have a large media collection.

Richard rich.ms

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#1253010 7-Mar-2015 21:18

RickW:
michaelmurfy: Just out of interest what software is the server running and what ports were exposed to the internet?

Hi guys,

I'm running win7 64 with all updates installed and mse for antivirus.

The only port that is open to the server is for Plex.

I was very lucky. the main thing that I was worried about were the pictures and video of my sons birth. My partner used the video camera last weekend and I thought she emptied the SD card, thankfully she didn't. The other data I can afford to loose.

Im giving the hackers the big FU and currently in the process of doing a clean install of win 7 and wiping the HDDs.

Awesome news

MikeB4

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#1253011 7-Mar-2015 21:18

So if someone broke into your home, took your TV and other family stuff, dropped you a note saying pay me $1,000 and you can have it back you would pay up?

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