SIAE Virus

The SIAE Virus is a malware infection that targets Italian computer users. The name 'SIAE Virus' is somewhat misleading, since the SIAE Virus is actually a ransomware Trojan from the LockScreen family of Trojans. Like other malware in this family, the SIAE Virus will scam its victims by claiming that the victim's computer was blocked by a law enforcement agency. The SIAE Virus uses threatening message that bullies the victim into paying a substantial ransom by threatening heavy fines and imprisonment. ESG malware researchers note that the SIAE Virus has absolutely nothing to do with legitimate police agencies. Rather than falling for the SIAE Virus' scam, this malware infection should be removed with a reliable anti-malware program that is fully up to date.

If your computer is infected with the SIAE Virus, you will be greeted by a full-screen pop-up message as soon as you log into Windows. The intrusive SIAE Virus message blocks access to the Windows Task Bar, the Task Manager, the Start Menu and other Windows components. The SIAE Virus message claims to represent the Italian Society for Authors and Publishers (SIAE) and even uses this institution's official logos. However, the SIAE Virus is not affiliated with the real SIAE. Like other malware in the Lockscreen family of ransomware, the SIAE Virus will claim that your computer contained illegal media files and was involved in illegal activities. Then, SIAE Virus will threaten to prosecute you unless you pay a one hundred Euro fine.

According to ESG malware researchers, the SIAE Virus is a common online scam that has numerous variants, usually corresponding to different regions in Europe. Some of the many variants of the SIAE Virus include the SGAE Virus, the Gema Access to your computer was denied Virus, the International Police Association (I.P.A.) Ransomware and the Votre ordinateur est bloqué Belgium Ransomware. While the SIAE Virus targets computers in Italy, the examples provided here target computers in Spain, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and Belgium respectively.

Removing the SIAE Virus from Your Computer

Like with most Trojans in the Lockscreen family, the SIAE Virus can be removed with and annihilated by a good anti-malware program. However, the real challenge is gaining access to the infected computer in the first place. Fortunately, using an alternative boot method, such as using Safe Mode or booting from an external memory device, will stop the SIAE Virus from loading automatically upon start-up.