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Ransomware Virus Round 2

9 years ago

News on the Today Show this virus is once again on the rampage so ya'll be careful out there, it locks up your PC untill you pay a ransom or all files will be lost forever, it comes up with a red screen and a clock counting down the time you have to pay up. Do not click on attachments like tracking numbers for pkgs. etc in E-mail.

Comments (11)

emma
9 years ago
Thanks for the warning, it's a reminder that it is time for a back up.
lazy_gardens
9 years ago
Yet another reason to use Linux.

It's really hard to get these virus infections.
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Henry, the statement about thick red growth by the Marin Master Rosarian appears to refer to herbicides in general rather than RoundUp particularly. Overgrowth symptoms resembling RRD might be caused by 2,4D and similar chemicals. The Oklahoma State fact sheet on RRD says,"However, excessive thorniness and unusual red pigmentation does not usually occur with glyphosate." Generally, glyphosate injury on other plants causes stunting and yellowing rather than overgrowth. This is not the last word on the subject, but I would like to see a science-based source indicating that glyphosate causes overgrowth and redness in some roses (or any plants). I guess it's possible that a light dose causes opposite symptoms from a heavy dose.
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Hi Jakki, I've seen roundup sprayed hostas come back a year later, so while it is worth a try to kill the plants with chemicals it isn't a guarantee, and then those roots could be down there contaminating things for quite a while. From the latest research (they aren't saying much yet) they are saying that HVX stays viable in the soil for months, if not years, from a contaminated location, so the recommendation is to not replant hostas in a spot that previously had HVX. Pretty scary stuff, if you ask me! There was always the possibility of HVX spreading by contaminated dirt particles (using a coarse contaminated sample to grind HVX into hostas is part of the inoculation process in research) and it seems dirt can hold on to HVX for quite a while. Also think heavy dust storm - if the plants get wind damage, bits of HVX could be floating around the garden. One major issue I see is that people continue to think that the green "ink bleed" is the only symptom. People post pictures here pretty regularly with HVX infected plants in the background and I don't even think they realize it. Many plants get distorted leaves, but others get NO symptoms at all. It's like cockroaches... If you see one you can be guaranteed there are others lurking about, even though you don't see them. There are millions of HVX infected plants out there, and it will take the effort of all of us to get rid of this huge problem. Chris
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Last fall, at the national rose convention in Tyler, I attended a round table discussion on RRD. Several university scientists discussed current research in removing afflicted canes, marking the rose, then watching to see if the disease presented in other parts of the rose. One researcher asked for attendees to send him canes with RRD and canes from the same rose that were not showing RRD, or canes from roses that appeared to have survived the disease. I'll have to dig out my notes, but I'll bet he is the person behind the reference "new evidence". I have been using this method to fight RRD for 3 years now. IF I catch the RRD early, meaning it is only visible on one cane, then I can absolutely stop the progress of disease in that rose. I think this technique failed in the Tulsa Rose Garden because so much of the work is done by volunteers, and to catch RRD early, one has to be extremely vigilant, and really know what to look for in early signs. Between 2008-2012, I dug out 35 infected roses in my garden. Since 2012, I've only had 2 that I had to remove--out of over 350 roses! The disease is rampant in this area, and multiflora rose grows wild nearby. I suspect a few canes I've removed in the past year were just roundup damaged canes, but I'm not taking any chances. Henry, once you see a published paper on removing afflicted canes, please let us know! I would like to present the official findings to our local rose society. Fewer and fewer people are growing roses because of this problem, and because of the continued perception that roses have to have chemical treatments to stay pretty. I grow organically, and I invite groups to my garden, but for most people, it's easier to buy crepe myrtles, hibiscus, and salvia for summer color. Commercial plantings that used to have long rows of roses now have shrubby cinquefoil!
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Elmer J Fudd
9 years ago
Lazydunes, it seems like you're repeatedly coming to this forum by mistake.

What you're looking for is www.internet_trolls.com.
owbist
9 years ago
LOL. good one Snidely ;~)
lazy_gardens
9 years ago
Dear snidely:
I'm not "trolling". I'm pointing out that in order to get a virus on my laptop I would have to download it, unpack it, log on as ROOT, and install it. All you have to do is click on a link and they'll install themselves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29

In Internet slang, a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.

Am I inflammatory? off-topic?

===========
Computer Help Forum
This forum is meant for the discussion of personal computers, including recommendations, common problems and solutions, how to get even with the people who wrote the software, etc.

Where does it say "Microsoft is the only approved OS for discussion on this forum"?

Oh, in the same place that banned the discussion of Linux? And made you boss? I see now.
fruitjarfla
9 years ago
By definition: Snidely -- Derogatory in a malicious, superior way.
mikie_gw
9 years ago
fwiw; maybe 2 days ago I yahoo searched 'World Globe Philippines. Then clicked one of the globe results icons .. I was looking for a near city where the equator line passed thru Philippines. So I clicked to zoom the globe..

Instantly bright page.. your files have been encrypted. Wouldn't let me close the browser or the page. Wanted me to click something to agree, or on a popup to leave the page and become forever encrypted.

I opened task manager and Internet Explorer was suspended.
I ended the process to get it closed.. Then ran some scans and found nothing. It was a definite gotcha page for anyone that didn't think to go to task manager.
azinoh
9 years ago
And your files are not encrypted? Sounds somewhat different than other stories I've read about where the message flashes only after the files have been locked.
mikie_gw
9 years ago
I kind of browse the internet differently.. with a ram drive. I suspect, its hard to get out of that cache onto the hard drive without some extra effort on the programmer.
Elmer J Fudd
9 years ago
Dear lazy,

I'm not the sheriff, nor is anyone else. A PC is a PC is a PC, I'm not aware of any topic or other restrictions besides the normal terms of use.

What triggered my comment to you was the second or third evangelical comment you'd made concerning linux in as many days. Many of the folks who come here for help are nervous novices who want to escape frustrating situations they get into. People for whom most would agree a linux recommendation is ill-advised.

I think people should ask about or discuss whatever they want. You'll have the most impact as a contributor if you can share your PC expertise with suggestions that are responsive to the needs of the audience.
lazy_gardens
9 years ago
Mikie Instantly bright page.. your files have been encrypted. Wouldn't let me close the browser or the page. Wanted me to click something to agree, or on a popup to leave the page and become forever encrypted.

AHAH! FAKE ransomware sites ... they are hoping to stampede you into agreeing to have their service fix the non-existent problem. The hard part is prying them loose from the browser - killing the process does it.

I deliberately went to one of those sites for an article I was writing on computer scams: it claimed to detect the current high profile virus, and was busily "scanning" my computer, reporting a non-existent file structure (the usual default Windows structure) and finding viruses that couldn't infect my OS ... but for a non-technical person it would have been impressive.

Then it asked me to pay them something small to clean out the viruses. I said "No" and it just kept sitting there, blinking and demanding money.

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