Windows 10 E-Mail Link Leads To Malicious Ransomware

People who reserved Windows 10 started to get the free upgrade on July 29. Unfortunately, some Windows users have gotten a much more malicious upgrade.

Taking advantage of the length of time it will take to deal out Windows 10 to every single person that reserved a copy, someone created a ransomware. Ransomware encrypts the files in a person’s computer until they pay a set amount of money to decrypt it.

The ransomware, called CTB-Locker, comes in the form of an e-mail from Windows. Usually, this kind of e-mail is easy to spot. Either it doesn’t come from the right e-mail address or it doesn’t show the correct colors in the header; there’s always a way.

The e-mail sent by CTB-Locker promises a Windows 10 upgrade and links to a .zip file that supposedly contains Windows 10, but actually downloads the ransomware.

Unfortunately, the messages looks legit.

The header in the e-mails shows approximately the same colors as a Windows e-mail would have and the people who created it even went so far as to spoof the e-mail address and make it look like a legitimate “microsoft.com” domain.

If it looks so real, how can you avoid getting affected?

First of all, there are usually errors in scam e-mails. Below is an image posted by PC World that shows the kind of errors that you might find in the fake Windows 10 message.

Second of all, and more importantly, if you have reserved a copy of Windows 10, you will not be receiving it through e-mail. Instead, you will get a Windows update notification option on your taskbar.

For your safety, do not click on any link in an e-mail that you do not know the source of.

In the meantime, Windows 10 is slowly getting to everyone who reserved a copy.

A Windows blog indicated that things were going smoothly, if a little on the slow side.

“As we’ve shared, our top priority has been ensuring that everyone has a great upgrade experience, so, we are carefully rolling out Windows 10 in phases, delivering Windows 10 first to our Windows Insiders. While we now have more than 14 million devices running Windows 10, we still have many more upgrades to go before we catch up to each of you that reserved your upgrade. Rest assured we are working 24×7 to continue the upgrade process and are prioritizing the quality of your upgrade experience over anything else. We are grateful for your excitement and enthusiasm and we appreciate your patience over the days and weeks ahead as we carefully roll out Windows 10 in phases to all of you that have reserved.

“If you reserved your upgrade of Windows 10, we will notify you once your PC is ready for Windows 10 and it has been downloaded on your PC. The best way to know your upgrade is ready is to look for this notification in your system tray.”

[ Images courtesy of Cisco, Ubergizmo and PC World ]