A key element (pun intended) in understanding how Crypto viruses and ransomware work is the concept of keys. There is also a time limit in which the money can be paid before the files are ultimately destroyed for good. A Crypto virus encrypts files on the computers it infects and then broadcasts a message in which a fine is demanded in order to regain access to the files. Note that under this definition, a virus that uses a symmetric key and not a public key is not a cryptovirus. Crypto trojans and crypto worms are the same as crypto viruses, except they are Trojan horses and worms, respectively. Crypto viruses may utilize secret sharing to hide information and may communicate by reading posts from public bulletin boards. For instance, a virus or worm may generate and use its own key pair at run-time. Usually, the public key belongs to the author of the virus, though there are other possibilities as well.
What is Crypto Virus? Crypto Virus Definitionīy definition, a Crypto Virus is a computer virus that contains and uses a public key. There is no guarantee that, if the victim pays the ransom, he/she will get the decryption key. Usually, there is also a time-limit for the ransom to be paid. After the infection happens, the victim receives a message that tells him/her that a certain amount of money must be paid (usually in Bitcoins) in order to get the decryption key. Ransomware, on the other hand, is a type of malware (malicious software) which encrypts all the data on a PC or mobile device, blocking the data owner’s access to it.
Viruses can steal data, destroy information, log keystrokes and more. Computer viruses are designed to harm computers and information systems and can spread through the Internet, through malicious downloads, infected email attachments, malicious programs, files, or documents.
Once this happens, these elements will become infected. A virus needs human intervention to run and it can copy itself into other computer programs, data files, or in certain sections of your computer, such as the boot sector of the hard drive. Viruses can be defined as follows: A computer virus is a type of malicious software capable of self-replication. This type of ill-intentioned software can disrupt normal computer operations, harvest confidential information, obtain unauthorized access to computer systems, display unwanted advertising and more. Malware is the umbrella that accommodates all these terms, as we also mention in our Cybersecurity Glossary : This is a short version for “malicious software” and it works as an umbrella term that refers to software that is defined by malicious intent. Understanding what the terms virus, worm and malware refer to is the perfect starting point for understanding how the Crypto Virus (and other ransomware) works, so let us have a closer look. A few months ago, my colleague Bianca Soare wrote a very comprehensive article on what virus and worm mean.
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