Viruses have evolved. Big time. We have many words for viruses, depending on the type. Malware refers to specific types of them. Ransomware, for example, is a type that holds a computer hostage until a fee is paid. Some ransomware just freezes our PCs and asks us to pay. These threats, typically can be unlocked without paying up using a decent anti-virus program.

However, we can avoid them altogether using some common sense. These threats all require us to click on something or do something , regardless of the type it is. To be clear, viruses do not simply “appear” on our computers without us having done something to enable them to be there.
The main thing to remember while using any device is this:

If we did not seek to do something, we should not do it.

CryptoLocker is no different, however, once activated, our PCs and software keep on working, but personal files, such as documents, spreadsheets and images, are encrypted, making them inaccessible even using Government grade tools to decrypt them. This stuff is nasty. This video explains it best: