New Delhi, Jul 23 (IANS): The government has cautioned against an Internet ransomware called "Akira" which steals important information and encrypts data which can lead to extortion.

CERT-In, the government's technology arm which guards against cyber attacks, issued an advisory regarding "Akira", a computer malware targets Windows and Linux-based systems.

It said that it steals information and then encrypts data on their systems. Once this is done, the malware conducts double extortion, thus forcing the victim into paying the ransom amount.

“In case the victim does not pay, they release their victim’s data on their dark web blog,” the advisory noted.

CERT-In thus suggested that Internet users should use basic online hygiene and protection protocols to protect themselves from such attacks. It also recommended that users should maintain offline backups of critical data and keep them updated, to prevent its loss in case of an attack.

The technology arm also advised that users should follow a strong password policy.