Police issue malware warning

CHESHIRE Police has issued a warning to computer users to take action following the infection of more than a million computers worldwide with two new forms of malware (malicious software).
The first of these, known as Zeus Gameover, P2PZeus or GOZ steals login details for online banking sites, allowing organised crime groups to steal from victims’ accounts.
The second form, CryptoLocker, is used to hold people to ransom. Criminals use the malware to lock the victim’s computer remotely and then demand payment to unlock it.
Police forces in 11 countries, including the UK, have taken part in a joint operation to arrest the people responsible for the malware. This will stem the flow of new computer infections but it still leaves many computers infected.
Police say everyone – including businesses – should update their operating system as soon as possible and check for updates weekly.
They should install or update anti-virus or security software, use caution before clicking on unsolicited email attachments or hyperlinks as they are the most common ways of getting infected.
In addition, backup copies of important files should be kept on a non-networked system, such as an external hard drive or DVD.
A strong password should be chosen, including a combination of numbers, letters and other characters. The same password should not be used for different accounts.
Cold calls from people offering to fix or remotely clean computers should be ignored – they are invariably a scam.
Anyone worried about malware on their computer, should visit http://www.getsafeonline.org/ and run one of the free clean-up tools. This is a trustworthy site which provides plain English explanations and advice.
Anyone who discovers their computer has been infected should report it at http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/. They should also notify their bank and change all their passwords.