Windows 7: Ransomware resurrects the SOPA specter

The so-called SOPA cryptovirus says your IP address is on a copyright infringement blacklist and holds your computer hostage -- pay up, or your data will be wiped.



SOPA. The dearly beloved antipiracy bill was quashed before it reared its ugly head and became signed into U.S. law. It only took months of worldwide protests, tech media outrage, site blackouts and the occasional satirical video or two.

A huge sigh of relief spread through the technology community when the bill was discarded -- at least for the moment. However, enterprising virus developers have piggybacked on the fear that copyright infringement and court cases produce for the general public -- using the recognizable SOPA branding to lure victims into parting with their hard-earned cash