IT Security: New ransomware targets your TV, demands payment in iTunes gift cards

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It is hard enough catching up on television series with all those real-world commitments you have like work and family, but now a ransomware strain wants to get in the way of your binge watching, too.

Researchers at Trend Micro recently discovered an updated version of the FLocker malware. Previously, FLocker was a plague that only affected Android phones — and even then, only ones that had the unknown sources toggle flipped on. This new version of FLocker, however, also appears to be capable of infecting Android-powered televisions.

FLocker will try to convince you that you have done something illegal with your TV and offer to let you get out of it by paying the ransom. Not in Bitcoin like most ransomware: this one demands $200 worth of iTunes gift cards. This is just one of the more than 7,000 $. FLocker variants Trend has added to their threat database. In April alone they saw 1,200 new ones spring up.

Ransomware authors used to be content encrypting your photos and documents. Then they started coming after your game data. And once they figured out a reliable system for squeezing money out of people they started going after bigger targets with a lot more money to throw at the problem to make it go away. Health care institutions. Universities. Police departments.

At this point, it is pretty clear that ransomware authors figure they have a pretty good system are going to go after anything and everything that has an Internet connection and exploitable software running on it. So far, though, most Android malware requires you to be pretty reckless to actually get infected.

While your smart TV might technically be at risk, if you stick to the Play Store and avoid browsing shady websites on your TV and you should be just fine.