We already dealt with ransomware, maybe the worst menace you can face: a virus that infects your system, encrypt your files and ask you for ransom (usually around $300) to let you access your files again. There’s a ton of ransomware, the most famous being surely CryptoLocker, and now there’s a newcomer: Popcorn Time, a crueler ransomware than the usual. It has nothing to do with Popcorn Time, a pirate app that lets you watch TV series: you still have to download an app with the same name. But this computer virus act in a much more subtle way: if you can’t pay the ransom, it forces you to infect your friends or family.
To infect them you have to share the direct download link. You need only two victims that actually download the software, and you get access back to your files. A pyramid scheme with a growing number of people infected, to save money. Like a Black Mirror episode of sorts. In the meantime, experts and security researchers wait to see how quickly this ransomware will spread, and how much effective the human-to-human will be.
How to defend yourself from Popcorn Time? Like we said, don’t open any link that looks scammy, don’t be intrigued by attachment, even from those that come from your contacts – even more, not those that come from people you barely know – and don’t download anything from websites you don’t trust.