(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette)
Sri Lankan mobile phone users have been warned of a possible ransomware attack on Android phones.
The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) issued the warning and urged Android phone users to be on alert.
Malicious software or "ransomware" has been used recently in a massive hacking attack, affecting tens of thousands of computers worldwide. Software security companies said a ransomware worm called "WannaCry" infected about 57,000 computer systems in 99 countries recently, with Russia, Ukraine, and Taiwan being the top targets.
The hack forced British hospitals to turn away patients, affected Spanish companies such as Telefonica, and threw other Government agencies and businesses into chaos.
Ransomware is a programme that gets into your computer, either by clicking or downloading malicious files. It then holds your data as ransom.
Some security researchers say the infections in the case of WannaCry seem to be deployed via a worm, spreading by itself within a network rather than relying on humans to spread it by clicking on an infected attachment.
The programme encrypts your files and demands payment in order to regain access.
Security experts warn there is no guarantee that access will be granted after payment.
Some forms of ransomware execute programmes that can lock your computer entirely, only showing a message to make payment in order to log in again.
Others create pop-ups that are difficult or impossible to close, rendering the machine difficult or impossible to use. (Colombo Gazette)
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