The next time you see an unfamiliar link on your device that promises a quick-fix for your weight problems, do not touch it even with a barge pole. It could well be Ransomware. What is Ransomware? Of all the online and web-related scams there are this one really tops it. Ransomware is a virus that restricts access to your computer and demands a ransom for its ‘owners’ if you want to regain access to your precious files.

While ransomware has been around since 1989, it’s gotten worse as criminals target billions of smartphones and tablets used around the world, demanding $100 to $600 (often in bitcoins) to release it.

So far, mobile Ransomware is considered easier to avoid than its desktop cousin, but that doesn’t necessarily mean smartphone users are immune to attacks.

Mobile security firm Lookout claims from its research that across 2014, there was an increase in mobile malware spotting of 75 per cent in comparison to 2013, and this was often due to Ransomware finding its way onto mobile devices through malicious apps.

In 2012, a major ransomware worm known as Reveton began to spread. The users’ computer screen displays a warning purportedly from a law enforcement agency (leading to its nickname as the "police trojan"), claiming that the device had been used for illegal activities, such as downloading pirated software or child pornography. The warning informs the user that to unlock their system, they would have to pay a fine using a voucher from an anonymous prepaid cash service such as Ukash or Paysafecard. To increase the illusion that the computer is being tracked by law enforcement, the screen also displays the computer's IP address, while other versions of the virus display footage from a computer's webcam to give the illusion that the user is being purportedly recorded as well.

India connection While it was initially rampant in Russia, Ransomware scams have gone international and their next target could be you! Various reports on the internet suggest that India has lately borne the brunt of this ‘disease’ with almost all of the reported cases emerging from the Indian sub-continent.

US-based eScan, one of the leading anti-virus and content solutions provider, says the best way to prevent such malware attacks is to not open e-mail attachments which are specifically related to fax receipts. Another obvious method is to make sure that your anti-virus software is up to date and your mail gateways are installed with blocking and scanning mechanisms, which are essential to weed out the viruses. However, there is one method that slips many a mind and that is to backup your content. Always make sure that your files are in separate external hard disks which are immune to malware attacks as they aren’t connected to a network.

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