Sites Infected with CryptXXX Ransomware

by | Nov 16, 2016 | Technology, Web presence

Sites Infected with CryptXXX Ransom-ware

Over 2,000 WordPress – and Joomla-Based are known to be infected. According to Trend Micro most sites infected with CrptXXX Ransom-ware are aimed primarily at US users followed by France and Japan. cryptoxxx

Sites infected with CryptXXX Ransom-ware need to be avoided. Both browsers of sites and the site’s creators need to be vigilant.

  • Make sure there is a https:// at the beginning of the site URL in the address bar. Using the Electronic Frontier Foundations HTTPS plug- to force encryption 
  • Keep your system up-to-date
  • Be careful and close the window if the something unexpected pops up.
  • Seek help immediately if you feel that something is not right
  • Make regular backups

There is no good reason for these simple steps to not be in place. Ransom-ware is a type of malware that is causing particular havoc. The reason is that many tools for web sites are easy to compromise if not updated continuously. Sites are compromised mostly because of outdated and obsolete plugins and code that allow malicious code to be inserted. Users need to demand that site owners keep their sites updated. BitDefender’s Hot for Security site reported yesterday that the Site Check’s scanner reported that a campaign had been detected through limited scanning.

The insidious nature of ransom-ware makes this situation less tolerable. The basis of this type of attack takes user’s files hostage. Then the data kidnappers require that the victim pay ransom to get their data back. There are many variants of what was originally known in common as cryptolocker. There are simple steps that blog writers and business sites using WordPress and similar content management platforms can take.

 Google’s how do I know if my site is hacked? provides help too. The best thing is to be very careful when going to unknown web sites.