Microsoft Infects Windows Computers With Malvertising

Microsoft Infects Windows Computers With Malvertising

Christine Hall

I thought about ignoring this one and letting it slide, but it’s too priceless, too typically Microsoft, not to pass on. It seems that Redmond has been inadvertently infecting Windows computers with ransomware through its MSN website. Not to worry, however. The company is happy to hand you a tool to remove the malware, which is akin to locking the door after the horse is gone, as your files will by then be locked up tighter than a waterproof safe.

The news came yesterday, via ZDNet, that Microsoft has “upgraded its malicious software removal tool to tackle TeslaCrypt, or Tescrypt as it calls it.”

TeslaCrypt, a ransomware trojan, became big news early this year when it was found to be targeting computers with a variety of computer games installed. The malware evidently looks for file extensions associated with 40 or so games and encrypts them. The list of games infected includes such popular titles as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Minecraft and World of Tanks. From there, the scenario is all too familiar. To unencrypt, users must pay up — the going price is the equivalent of $500 in Bitcoins — to receive the decrypt key.

While media mainly focused on the gaming aspect of TeslaCrypt, lulling non-gaming Windows users in to a false sense of security, it appears that the trojan also targets financial and tax software.

Ho hum. Life as usual in the Windows world, eh?

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http://fossforce.com/2015/10/microsoft-infects-windows-computers-with-advertising-malware/

 

Good one!