MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Local 10 News consumer advocate Christina Vazquez recently sat down with computer security expert Dave Aitel to discuss the top cybercrime trends.
Aitel said ransomware is gaining traction. Hackers lock your files and if you want to get them back, you have to pay. Your family pictures, personal documents or, in the case of a small business, your customers' information can all be held for ransom.
The FBI recently busted a ransomware ring.
"This operation disrupted a global botnet that had stolen millions from businesses and consumers as well as a complex ransomware scheme that secretly encrypted hard drives and then demanded payments for giving users access to their own files and data," Deputy Attorney General James Cole said a Justice Department news release. "We succeeded in disabling Gameover Zeus and Cryptolocker only because we blended innovative legal and technical tactics with traditional law enforcement tools and developed strong working relationships with private industry experts and law enforcement counterparts in more than 10 countries around the world."
In a Call Christina consumer conversation, Immunity founder and Miami Beach-based computer security expert Dave Aitel breaks down how ransomware works and what you can do if a hacker tries to pull this trick on you.
Follow Christina Vazquez on Twitter @CallChristinaTV