Important Facts for Prelims (17 August 2018)

• 17 Aug 2018

KeyPass

• KeyPass is a ransomware that is a variant of a trojan. It takes control of a computer by taking manual control of the internal systems.

NOTE: Ransomware is a form of malware or malicious software. It can encrypt or hack data of individual users or corporations. As the name suggests, it presents users with an ultimatum: pay a fee to unlock and reclaim personal data, or lose the data indefinitely. Examples of ransomware include wannacry, petya etc.

• It has become viral in the last few days, particularly targeting developing countries. India is among the top five victim countries.
• A trojan is a malware that behaves as a legitimate software. It fools computer users into downloading it, thereby, giving hackers a back-door entry. By taking control of computers hackers can manipulate data to cause harm that includes demanding a ransom.