astronomy

Kirk Ransomware

Kirk Ransomware is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Kirk Ransomware rather than just read about it. In short: Kirk Ransomware, or Kirk, is malware. It encrypts files on an infected computer and demands payment for decryption in the cryptocurrency Monero.

Key takeaways

Kirk Ransomware belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Kirk Ransomware to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kirk Ransomware from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Kirk Ransomware, or Kirk, is malware. It encrypts files on an infected computer and demands payment for decryption in the cryptocurrency Monero. The ransomware was first discovered in 2017, by Avast researcher Jakub Kroustek.

Description Kirk Ransomware is a trojan horse program that masquerades as Low Orbit Ion Cannon, an application used for stress testing and denial-of-service attacks. Once activated, Kirk Ransomware searches the infected computer's hard drive for files with certain filename extensions, and encrypts and renames them, adding .kirked to the end of their filenames. When the encryption is finished, a window pops up, displaying an ASCII art image of Captain James T. Kirk and Spock from Star Trek: The Original Series, and informing the user that files have been "encrypted using military grade encryption." "SPOCK TO THE RESCUE!" the ransom note continues, and demands payment in order to receive a decryptor program named Spock. The ransom demanded is initially 50 Monero (worth about $1,175 as of March 2017); if not paid within 48 hours, the demand begins increasing, reaching 500 Monero after two weeks. If the ransom remains unpaid after 30 days, the decryption key is deleted, essentially rendering the encryption irreversible. The ransom note includes a spurious quotation from Spock ("Logic, motherfucker"), and ends with "LIVE LONG AND PROSPER". Kirk Ransomware is the first known ransomware to demand payment in Monero; most other ransomware has demanded bitcoins. Monero has significantly greater privacy protection than bitcoin, making transactions much more difficult to trace. A variant of Kirk Ransomware, named Lick Ransomware, was also discovered; it does not contain Star Trek references.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kirk Ransomware

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kirk Ransomware claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Kirk Ransomware before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Kirk Ransomware ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Kirk Ransomware

In research: Kirk Ransomware appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Kirk Ransomware in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Kirk Ransomware is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2010s in hacking, 2017 in computing, Ransomware, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kirk Ransomware outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Kirk Ransomware in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kirk Ransomware means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Kirk Ransomware out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kirk Ransomware in simple terms?

Kirk Ransomware, or Kirk, is malware. It encrypts files on an infected computer and demands payment for decryption in the cryptocurrency Monero.

Why does Kirk Ransomware matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Kirk Ransomware?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Kirk Ransomware.