Beware of emails appearing to come from Google warning you that “Your version of Google Chrome is potentially vulnerable and out of date”.
In this latest spam wave, cyber crooks are tricking users into downloading the well-known browser, except that it’s a dangerous Trojan that will encrypt your personal files and demand a hefty ransom to decrypt them back.
The payload is not attached to the email but instead gets downloaded from various websites that appear to have been compromised. One particular domain appears to serve as the dynamic redirection mechanism is assetdigitalmarketing.com/redirect.php.
Running “ChromeSetup.exe” will not install Google Chrome. Instead the Windows wallpaper will change to above picture and all your data files will be encrypted.
The problem with ransomware is that while the active Trojans can be removed, it is much more difficult and sometimes impossible to recover the encrypted files.
Social engineering remains a powerful technique to trick people into running programs they shouldn’t. As a rule of thumb you should always only download files from their official website rather than from some unknown site.
If your files are encrypted, your most recent backup will “Save the Day!”
At San Diego BOS Techs we are committed to the safety and security of your important business data. For more information on how we can help protect you and your business, Contact us at info@sdbostechs.com.