Protecting Yourself from Ransomware

We continue to hear about data breaches where criminal hackers steal data and sell it on the dark web. There is a growing method of cyber attack you should be aware of, called ransomware. This is how it works:

  • The attacker lures you to install their application on your system, either through email as an attachment or by clicking on a link in a phishing attack.
  • That application allows them to encrypt and lock the contents of your local hard drive and can give them access to do the same thing to every workstation around you and even the servers where you work.
  • Lastly, the attacker forces you to pay big money for them to restore your files.

Many times, even if you pay the ransom, they will not return your systems to where they were before or the restore does not do a good job of getting all your data back.

How do you protect yourself from this type of attack?

  • First, be very careful about clicking links or opening attachments in emails.
  • Make sure your system has a quality anti-virus/anti-malware software installed.
  • Backup your data and servers to a system that cannot be accessed by the malware and make sure that the system you choose has backups that can be restored after your computer is repaired. Microsoft OneDrive may not be a good backup solution since an attacker may be able to access your account from your PC.
  • Always apply the latest security patches to all your software.
  • Do not pay the ransom!

The criminals running these attacks are targeting all computer systems from personal computers at home, to large corporations and hospitals, so it is important to have a strategy to avoid becoming a victim and a plan if you do.