CERT warns of a blackmail scam through emails

COLOMBO (News1st): Sri Lanka’s national centre for cyber-security (CERT) has warned of a blackmail scam, days after it warned of a malware being sent through emails. "The main reason behind this is to extort money from the targeted users in the form of Bitcoin payments," CERT said commenting on the latest 'high threat' warning. Scammers will send emails claiming to have access to a users password, contacts, or embarrassing content, and then demand a ransom in the form of bitcoins in exchange of deleting such details. The cyber-security authority advised users to refrain from replying to untrusted e-mails, to change passwords frequently and enable two-factor authentication for added security. CERT also called on computer users to run anti-virus scans regularly and to update the database of anti-virus softwares in a bid to secure themselves from the threat. Recently, CERT warned of another threat which included phishing emails being sent to steal credentials and personal information, and cause a user to lose control of their machine.