Most anti-malware programs can remove CryptoLocker. Unfortunately, by then it’s too late. It will have already encrypted your important files and then demand money. You need to block it from attacking your system.
 CryptoLocker is the sort of threat that can seriously ruin your week, month, or year depending on how important the data on your computer is (and backup frequency), so you should worry about it at least a little.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Pro is $24.95 for a lifetime license. It blocks CryptoLocker and other nasties from attacking your computer. I run it along with the highly regarded Microsoft Security Essentials, which is free. (There are other equally good programs, these are the ones I use.)
GMail has excellent spam, virus, and malware killers. If you get email from elsewhere, auto-forward it to Gmail. You can answer these emails in Gmail using the original email address. Once Gmail gets the email it will scrub it for you. This will stop most email attacks.
Many cloud solutions will not help since they store data on a local folder then sync to the cloud. The local data will get encrypted by CryptoLocker then sent to the cloud service. You need a removable hard drive or cloud service where the data is not stored on your computer then synced to the cloud.
Make sure your browser and browser extensions are always the latest versions. And don’t go into dangerous parts of town, like file sharing, gambling, or porn sites.
Seth Hall details the errors you need to make before CryptoLocker borks your data and forces you pay $300.
- You’ll need an email server willing to send you infected executable attachments.
- Your perimeter security solution will have to totally fail to spot the incoming threat.
- Your desktop security solution will have to totally fail.
- Your user education program will have to be proven completely ineffective.
- Your perimeter security solution will have to totally fail, a second time.
- Your backup solution will have to totally fail.
If you take a few simple precautions, you can probably avoid being attacked by CryptoLocker.