Lesson plan
Archiveus
Archiveus is a computer virus for Microsoft Windows operating systems that is used as a method of extortion. It is a Trojan horse-type ransomware virus that encrypts the user's files. The user must then purchase something on specific Web sites to obtain the password to decrypt the files. The virus primarily encrypts files located in the "My Documents" directory and requires victims to obtain a 30-digit password to regain access to their data. In May 2006, the password protection was cracked. The password for restoring the affected files was found to be "mf2lro8sw03ufvnsq034jfowr18f3cszc20vmw". While Archiveus is no longer a prevalent threat, it played a significant role in the evolution of ransomware.
Article summary
Archiveus is a computer virus for Microsoft Windows operating systems that is used as a method of extortion. It is a Trojan horse-type ransomware virus that encrypts the user's files. The user must then purchase something on specific Web sites to obtain the password to decrypt the files. The virus primarily encrypts files located in the "My Documents" directory and requires victims to obtain a 30-digit password to regain access to their data. In May 2006, the password protection was cracked. The password for restoring the affected files was found to be "mf2lro8sw03ufvnsq034jfowr18f3cszc20vmw". While Archiveus is no longer a prevalent threat, it played a significant role in the evolution of ransomware.
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.