Cyber Police Ransomware Demands Payment In iTunes Gift Cards

When it comes to the latest in viruses, ransomware is the next big thing for viruses. Ransomware benefits the hackers by encrypting all of your files until you pay the creator of the ransomware, anywhere from a couple of pounds to a bitcoin or two. The latest ransomware is titled “Cyber Police” and targets Android devices until you pay the ransom they request in a rather unusual currency, iTunes gift cards.

Cyber Police disguises itself as a warning from the U.S. Government intelligence agencies, which appears once you visit a site which has the malware present. Once you see the warning the ransomware downloads itself, providing a particularly evil piece of software.

With no interactions from the user, Cyber Police is particularly nasty in its deployment and displaying itself as a warning before requesting you pay a fine while the information is stored in the database of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

This ransomware is mean in that it downloads itself, but nice to you in the fact that it doesn’t encrypt any data present on your Android device. It may be possible for Apple to track the gifting of iTunes vouchers, but if you didn’t feel like paying the ransomware leaves itself open by not encrypting the device, letting you remove it if you connect it to your PC and factory resetting the device.

The ransomware only affects Android 4.0.3 till 4.4.4 so those with Lollipop or Marshmellow are safe from Cyber Police.