Ransom used to be something only kidnappers demanded, but now, there is a new threat called ransomware that allows criminals to hijack your home or office computer and freeze it so you can't use it - returning it to normal only if you pay the ransom.
"A big frustration was that everything you had was all of a sudden somebody could see it, somebody had access to it," said Marja Neylon, owner of Halas Aromatherapy and Spa.
Neylon has kept meticulous records of her inventory, her clients and their needs here at her spa in west suburban Geneva. But the small company was put in jeopardy when its computer data was hijacked, the screen frozen and Maria held up for ransom.
"They corrupted most of our files," Neylon said.
Neylon had no intention of paying the criminals and has instead, been re-entering her data.
These are examples of what millions of ransomware victims see after clicking on rogue links or fake ads. Data is locked-up and won't be returned to normal until ransom is paid, usually ranging from $200 to $5,000, according to federal law enforcement officials.
"Popular, its more popular today than it was yesterday," said Supv. Special Agent Eric Shiffman, FBI Criminal Cyber Intrustion Squad.
Shiffman says targets include personal computers, businesses, government agencies and academic institutions.
"Cyber criminals are looking for anything they can monetize, so the more value something has the more they want to keep it away from you so they can ransom it," Shiffman said.
"Data is power and people are trying to steal their data. They are getting very tricky in how they do it," said Matthew Meseska, owner of Net Works.
Software companies, like Net Works in Geneva, are seeing increased demand for data protection products and services.
"Don't wait for it to happen to you because there is no going back. If you don't have backups and you don't have preventative maintenance you won't have your data," Meseska said.
Victims are given a short amount of time to pay the ransom in bitcoin, a computer currency that is difficult to trace. During an eight-month period ending last year, more than a half million computer systems were infected by ransomware called cryptolocker. Extortionists attempted to muscle money from victims on the promise of restoring their valuable-but frozen-data.
Last year, authorities were able to track down the largest ransomware delivery system. This FBI diagram shows the global scope of the infection. Russian cyber thieves and their scheme was shut down. The FBI identified Evgeniy Mikhailovitch Bogachev, a Russian national, as the mastermind. Mikhailovitch - known as "Slavic" - remains a fugitive.
"We continue to shut down others around the world. It's a problem on the rise, it's only going to get worse," Shiffman said.
FBI officials say if your computer is held hostage by cyber-attackers, do not pay the ransom. It's like dealing with terrorists and perpetuates the problem. Instead, experts say:
-Back up your computer often and on a different server.
-Do not open any links in unsolicited emails you may get.
-Update your security software and
-If your data is hijacked, report the incident to IC3.gov, the FBI's internet complaint center.
File a complaint with the IC3 - Internet Crime Complaint Center
FBI action against ransomware
Criminal complaint against Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev