United States Department of Justice Ransomware

United States Department of Justice Ransomware Image

In recent years, ESG Security analysts have received numerous reports of a ransomware attack involving various versions of Winlocker impersonating law enforcement agencies of several different countries. The recent rise in these kinds of attacks is apparently happening because several months ago, ESG security analysts detected that the criminals behind the notorious Ukash Winlocker have started offering their malware on an affiliate basis. This means that hackers can make a profit depending on the number of computer systems they can infect with this malware infection, regardless of whether the victim falls for the scam or not.

While versions of this attack have previously been targeted towards computer systems in Europe, the United States Department of Justice Ransomware is one of the first versions of this ransomware attack specifically attacking computers in the United States. While the law enforcement agency the United States Department of Justice Ransomware impersonates certainly does exist, it has no relationship to this scam. Rather, the United States Department of Justice Ransomware is the main symptom of a malware attack.

An Overview of the United States Department of Justice Ransomware Scam

Basically, the United States Department of Justice Ransomware claims that the victim's computer system has been involved in various illegal activities, including downloading copyrighted content and accessing websites affiliated with unlawful pornographic material. To make itself seem more authentic, the United States Department of Justice Ransomware uses the logos for its law enforcement agencies, a professional-looking layout and design and displays basic information about the victim's computer system (such as its IP address and operating system).

The main problem with the United States Department of Justice Ransomware is the fact that the United States Department of Justice Ransomware takes over the victim's computer, launching during start-up and blocking all access to the infected computer's desktop or to the Task Manager. The United States Department of Justice Ransomware threatens to initiate legal action against the victim if 100 dollars is not paid. However, the United States Department of Justice Ransomware has no way of affecting your files or contacting law enforcement. Removal of the United States Department of Justice Ransomware is not particularly difficult. Most of the time, starting up in Safe Mode will be enough to prevent the United States Department of Justice Ransomware from launching. Then, it is simply a matter of removing the United States Department of Justice Ransomware with your anti-malware program of choice.