If you see a new image or graphic file on your computer that you don’t recall downloading, do not open it. The Locky ransomware program has moved on from MS Office Word to Facebook and LinkedIn vulnerabilities, and is now putting files on your computer that can lock you out of your data.

The attackers have built a new capability to embed malicious code into an image file and successfully upload it to the social media website.

Usually what happens is that when you click on an image thumbnail, rather than displaying the image in a separate window, the file automatically downloads. It would be natural for most people to then click on the downloaded image — and that’s what executes the Locky code and immediately locks up all your files and demands ransom.

The bottom line on avoiding this particular type of an attack by Locky is, if you click on an image and it starts to download, whatever you do, do not open the image file on your computer.
Current ransom to unlock a user’s computer is about $360.00.

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