Hunting Down and Killing Ransomware with Mark Russinovich

Scareware is a form of malware that poses as a legitimate security tool. It attempts to fool a user into thinking their computer is heavily infected with malware and then lets the user know that the most convenient way to clean the system is to pay for the full version of the scareware software that graciously brought the infection to their attention. This form of scareware has been around for a decade and shows no signs of going away. But in recent years, we have seen it morph and take on a more aggressive approach. Today's ransomeware prevents you from running security and diagnostic software and often even prevents you from executing any software at all. Without advanced malware cleaning skills, a system infected with ransomware is usable only to give in to the blackmailer’s monetary demands to regain control of the system. But with some knowledge you can clean a system that has fallen to ransomware on your own. MORE...