Computer Warning for your plane pictures and documents

For general discussion of the Just Aircraft family of aircraft.
Includes: Highlander, Escapade, Summit and SuperSTOL.
Post Reply
User avatar
scubarider2
Topic Moderator
Posts: 1085
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:03 pm
Location: Cleveland, GA

Computer Warning for your plane pictures and documents

Post by scubarider2 »

Greetings all,
I want to share with you my anger and frustration with what happened to me this past Monday in an effort to help you protect your computer documents.
I went on Facebook to wish all our vets a happy Veteran’s Day and wanted to post a flag picture. I went into my computer files-pictures and they looked weird. I tried to open one and it gave me a statement that it was either encrypted or picture viewer was out of date. Of course I did all the normal things to try and fix the problem. I came across a file in my pictures folder named DECRYPT_INSTRUCTION.HTML. I clicked on it. It was a sheet telling me that my files have been encrypted and to be able to use them again I would have to follow the directions to “purchase” a key to unlock them.
I immediately did a system restore prior to the date on when it happened which was Nov. 9th. It did not help because system restore does not change files. I tried everything I knew to do. I went to Google and found loads of websites/YouTube/news feeds/blogs on this topic and how dangerous this malware has been. It slips it’s way in through emails etc. Here is a link if you want to learn more: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-r ... nformation
Basically what it does is find every file on your computer, copies it, encrypts the copy then DELETS the original. So yep, all my pictures, all my documents like my Will, Resume, etc, and all my thousands of music files are now GONE forever. That is unless I want to pay the ransom of $1000 for the key. I can purchase some software to find and delete the virus but there is no way to get any of the files back.
So to protect yourself. Get the best protection you can afford for viruses/malware. You need to purchase an external storage or hard drive and back up all your files as you create them then unplug it from your computer.
This has been a horrible experience losing all our years of pictures, documents and music. Be proactive. Feel free to share.
Dennis
Live as though you were going to die tomorrow, learn as though you were going to live forever...
User avatar
Johnny C!
Veteran Member
Posts: 826
Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:55 am
Location: Brevard, NC

Re: Computer Warning for your plane pictures and documents

Post by Johnny C! »

Ouch.

Sorry to hear this Dennis.

Things on the internet are getting complicated.

John
There are many things that happen really fast when you are
flying an airplane. There is no sense in rushing any of the others.

I would much rather be looking down at the runway, than up at it.

Duane Sorenson & Rick Norton Gone West 6/8/09. Godspeed
RobS
New Member
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 4:35 pm
Location: Durham, ME

Re: Computer Warning for your plane pictures and documents

Post by RobS »

Dennis,
And you weren't able to use the DecrypterFixer's Tools bleepingcomputer.com referred to (excerpt pasted below)?

"How to fix files encrypted by CryptorBit using DecrypterFixer's Tools

Nathan Scott, aka DecrypterFixer, has developed tools that can fix various types of files that have been encrypted by CryptorBit. Currently his tools can recover corrupted PST, JPG, PDF, MP3, DOC, and XLS files. In order to use his tool you must have Microsoft Net Framework 4.0 or higher installed on your computer. If you using Windows XP, you will need to have service pack 3 installed before you can install Net 4.0. . . . ."
RobS
C-172A
User GDS
Veteran Member
Posts: 304
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:59 am
Location: Big Bear Airport

Re: Computer Warning for your plane pictures and documents

Post by User GDS »

I just started using a samsung S5 phone, and when I go to wingsforum it's too small to see. there is a pop up for Tapatalk, I thought it would help and I followed the installation instructions. Nothing happened. No app icon, everything looks the same. I don't know if I did not activate it properly or if I downloaded something similar to what scubarider2 describes and the alien is incubating its eggs in my digital world. I can't tell my "app"s from a hole in the ground, any of you tech guys have any explanations?
GDS
So Cal
Highlander #232
Rotax 912ULS, Dynon Skyview
User avatar
mhcrowder
Veteran Member
Posts: 183
Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 9:18 am
Location: Cary, NC
Contact:

Re: Computer Warning for your plane pictures and documents

Post by mhcrowder »

I can't help on usage. But I am using Tapatalk on my Galaxy S4 quite successfully. Much better than using the phone browser.

==
Michael

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Building Highlander #371
http://highlander371.blogspot.com/
jjacky
Veteran Member
Posts: 239
Joined: Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:07 pm
Location: Greensboro, NC

Re: Computer Warning for your plane pictures and documents

Post by jjacky »

Scubaraider this really sucks. I'd pay an organization that found these people and put us out of our misery. I use Norton 360 antivirus for protection and it definitely (according to the chat guy) protects against CryptoWall. Just FYI...After seeing your note my wife, Margie, a professional Web Developer, told me she never opens anything without scanning it first.
Plan not to be the first at the scene of the accident!
xpflyr
Veteran Member
Posts: 390
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:24 am

Re: Computer Warning for your plane pictures and documents

Post by xpflyr »

That sucks!
The biggest reason I use a Mac is it is much less likely for this to happen. If if does screw up, in anyway, it has a feature that is worth the $100. bucks for the external back up drive mine is 2 T bits, and that's what they call " the time machine ".
What it does is this, it backs up every thing on your computer automatically, every hour and then at the end of the day compresses it for the one day. So you can go back in time and restore the entire os or just a file, folder, picture, music, of any day it was activated.
It's always on. Works by bluetooth or hard wired.
I love it.
User avatar
scubarider2
Topic Moderator
Posts: 1085
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:03 pm
Location: Cleveland, GA

Re: Computer Warning for your plane pictures and documents

Post by scubarider2 »

Thanks everyone. I ended up buying a new computer and starting over. Luckily I did save to a thumb drive some documents, pictures, etc from about a year ago. So did lose everything current. I also bought an external hard drive and am now backing up everything then unplugging it when done. I am now using McAfee for protection. The thing that bothers me the most is the current flying pictures and documents that I lost.
I filed an official complaint with the FBI for cyber fraud. I would love to get ahold of these guys myself :evil:
:wink:
Dennis
Live as though you were going to die tomorrow, learn as though you were going to live forever...
Post Reply

Return to “Just Aircraft”