Still, when it attacks and spreads among large corporations, the cost and damage is immense. On an individual's computer, this malware is terrible enough. It infects computer systems and encrypts files, making them inaccessible to the user without paying for the digital 'key' to get them back. Microsoft slams Google for spilling the beans on Windows 8.Cryptolocker is the name of computer malware that was first identified in 2013.Universal XSS flaw in fully patched Microsoft Internet Explorer exposed.Facebook funds GNU Privacy Guard development.Sony executive Amy Pascal steps down following cyberattack, email exposure.Verizon rushes fix for email account open season security flaw.Poor security left Anthem customer records exposed.Anonymous targets ISIS social media, recruitment drives in #OpISIS campaign.

The attackers are also getting better at incorporating BitCoin code directly into their projects. Bromium Labs commented: 'As more file categories are infected, a broader audience is affected.

To protect yourself from losing data, the team recommends you backup all of your files on an external hard drive regularly. Non-gamers are also likely to be frustrated by these attacks if they lose their personal data.' Many young adults may not have any crucial documents or source code on their machine (even photographs are usually stored at Tumblr or Facebook), but surely most of them have a Steam account with a few games and an iTunes account full of music. The researchers say: 'Encrypting all these games demonstrates the evolution of crypto-ransomware as cybercriminal target new niches.

Users compromised by crypto locker