Ransomware is rising and Netflix and PlayStation accounts command big dollars, Symantec says

YOUR photos, files and passwords have never been more valuable or desirable to hackers, with ransomware skyrocketing in Australia and even stolen Netflix and PlayStation accounts being sold on the black market.Australians are the number one target for ransomware in the southern hemisphere and ninth worldwide, according to the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report released
today, and online crime is becoming so sophisticated, hackers have technical support hotlines and take weekends off.Symantec security expert Nick Savvides said the report, which analysed the biggest internet threats in 2015, showed ransomware spiked in popularity, with daily attacks up 141 per cent from 2014.Ransomware is software used to hack into an individual’s computer, encrypt their information, and demand a ransom for access to it again.

Ransoms are typically priced at one or two Bitcoins, equivalent to $558 to $1117.
“Australia is the number one targeted country in our region (for ransomware),” he said.
“The first reason for that is high disposable income and we have a very she’ll-be-right attitude, a very laid-back attitude to computer security.”
Mr Savvides said in some cases last year, ransomware was being combined with banking trojans so affected users who paid ransoms to retrieve their data would have their online bank account details stolen at the same time — a double whammy.

Ransoms rising ... Symantec says phishing scams are often a way for hackers to install ransomware.

The black market for stolen account details was also gaining traction, Mr Savvides said, with everything from Netflix to stolen credit card details earning criminals cash.
“A Netflix account now sells for 25c. They sell these accounts to a bad guy in lots of one thousand, and he sets up a pirate network and sells access to the service for $1 a month,” he said.
“You can buy PlayStation accounts for $7 each and then there’s credit card details. If you get extra information like CCV numbers and expiry dates, you can get $40 per account for that information.”
Mr Savvides said the introduction of a cash price for accounts was one of the reasons online threats were becoming so sophisticated, with call centre-like setups, ransomware help lines for hackers, and a more nine-to-five style of operation.
“We were tracking one group and watching their activity,” he said. “You can see them take weekends off. They’re operating as a business.”
Despite an increase in malicious smartphone apps, or malware, Mr Savvides said attacks on PCs, servers, and business systems were still the number one online security risk by a large margin.
Internet users are advised to keep strong passwords, read emails carefully before choosing to open web links, limiting personal details shared on social networks, and using internet security software.