Ransomware is nothing new. It has been around for nearly a decade. This year, it’s gotten so much exposure that this past summer has been dubbed “The Summer of Ransomware”. Whether your company is a bank, or in the entertainment field, you may have felt the sting.
When it comes to avoiding ransomware, there’s not much else you can do once your files are encrypted. If you give up hope and just pay up, even then there’s a chance you won’t get your files back, so you’re out the files and your cash. Now what? Preparation is the name of the game.
Follow these tips to avoid the dreaded ransomware:
1. Use antivirus software, as it will protect you from the most infamous viruses by scanning your system against their known “fingerprints.”
2. Applying security patches gives cyber-criminals fewer options for infecting you with the virus.
3. Show hidden file-extensions. If you enable the ability to see the full file-extension, it can be easier to spot suspicious files.
4. Avoid suspicious emails and links at all costs. The number one way of infecting victims with ransomware involves a phishing attack. This involves spamming you with emails that carry a malicious attachment or instruct you to click on a URL where malware stealthily crawls into your machine. Which is why you never open spam emails or emails from unknown senders, or click on a file or link in suspicious emails, or download anything from suspicious websites.
5. Always make sure everything is up to date. This means the operating system, the browser and all of the plug-ins that a modern browser typically uses. When your software is up to date, there’s less of a chance that your system has an exposed vulnerability on it.
Cyber-criminals are always looking for clever, new ways to take advantage of users with these type of viruses. The bottom line is be careful about what you download and make sure everyone in your office, or in your household, is trained in ways to avoid ransomware. If you and your team don’t train properly, you could be at risk of receiving and opening malicious emails and documents.
