14 DAY TRIAL // The FBI has become aware of the recent news regarding the ransomware that’s designed to target Mac OS X users. The agency’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has published an advisory to warn users of this threat.
Unlike other ransomware, which locks up the computer completely, this threat only locks up the web browser.
“The ransomware is pushed to victims’ computers when they browse common websites, specifically when they query popular search terms,” the IC3 warns.
“Once the web browser is exploited, the victims’ computer displays a pop-up warning that appears to be from the FBI. Cyber criminals use ‘FBI.gov’ within the URL to make the warning appear more legitimate.”
The IC3 advises users not to pay the ransom money demanded by the cybercriminals. Instead, they should simply reset their web browser to make sure the website is not loaded when the application is restarted.
For additional information regarding how this threat can be removed, check out this advisory.