Robbery in the computer has taken a novel turn these past years. Between April 2014 and June 2015, more than $18 million were paid to ransomware thieves using Ransomware to infect computers. To be rid of the infection and restore its normal use, they demanded large sums of money. Users must pay a ransom, typically via bitcoin. However, there is no security that you will be able to regain and access files in your computer after paying the fine or following their threats.
Know about Ransomware
Ransomware belongs to a family of malware that prevents entry to a PC, a server or mobile device, or it encrypts all the files on that machine. A malicious email or a third party already infected is used for the delivery.
Ransomware are of different types. But they are all the same in preventing you from the normal use of your PC unless you pay the ransom. Robbers have no qualm victimizing PC users, whether for home-users; business networks, computers used by a Federal agency or healthcare providers. More criminals are shifting to new heist for ready-made ransomware software is easily available and sold by cybernet smart hackers. These toolkits make it possible for anyone with basic skills to launch sophisticated attacks.
How to protect your computer
Planning ahead is always the best protection. Figure out how you would respond in case you become a Ransomware victim. It is a wise move to keep secured your passwords; install disks and other important items in a place where they can be retrieve easily but don’t keep in your PC for an infection can prevent them from being accessed.
Systems backups in computers and regular checkups can protect your files and data from an attack. All critical data and files must have a backup and kept offline to avoid the threat.
An up-to-date system is the best protection available. Install the latest Windows Update high priority tool. Conduct regular checkup or enable the features of Automatic Updates. The risk of the virus from malware attack is reduced by new security vulnerabilities of the updated patch system.
To safeguard your computer, there are software to help you like the antivirus and anti-malware software.They are valuable assets to help you identify threats or suspicious behavior.
A security solution covering devices in PCs, Macs, smartphones, and tablets provides protection. Out there are found all known ransomware threats but your computer can be protected by many anti malware software.
Internet security firms advised that all possible obvious points of entry must be sealed. Continuous updates are used by the system to give attention to the software of anti-virus & the browser, operating system patches and any plug-ins for browser. As secondary protection, reevaluate file and share permissions to prevent unauthorized users from changing files.
You must train yourself, as well as those around you to be security-conscious. Never be tempted to click on links that appear questionable or touch and open any dubious attachments. In fact, it would be good if all system administrators will allow employees to access parts of the network critical to their work and no other parts that they are not using.
Alternative delivery methods as such phishing must be avoided. There are many infected clients that are maliciously attached on phishing emails posing as Fedex and UPS shipment tracking notices. By adopting an anti-spam service, the number of phishing emails appearing in your inbox is minimized as this is one option to prevent well-disguised attacks.
Decrease the surface in danger of attacks by attaining complete visibility on network traffic, while scrutinizing across applications, active threats and users activity. You can minimize surface through network segmentation letting granular control of applications and flowing traffic between zones.
Look at the drives of the server if it only mapped PCs users as they are actually the only ones needed here. Whenever possible, utilize the read-only folder. If an infected PC will not be able to access the server drives, no need to worry as it cannot be infected. Security report confirms that cloud drives are susceptible for infection as well.
The use of the browser plugin must be limited. When you are not using them disable the commonly used ones as the Flash Player and the Silverlight. Look under the plugin setting for the web browser and use it.
Restrict the use of each PC to only authorized people. Keep PC locked down in the office so that they cannot be used by maintenance personnel or other passers-by for a quick Web search. Even at home, do not allow your kid to use PC containing your files and work data.
Appraise your cloud provider including cloud services not directly hooked up to your PC for they might be a risk. It has been reported that many ransomware attacks made use of a cloud provider. The attack was easier to defeat; however, it still places your computer in a challenging situation as it takes time to restore the hijacked files. Make sure you understand how your cloud provider can protect your data and recover it in case of a malicious attack.
Prevent known threats by stopping known exploits, malware and command-and-control traffic from entering your network. As owner of the PC, do not allow others to download inadvertently any malicious content or having lost credentials by disallowing access to some known dubious and phishing URLs. Block these threats and have them removed from the entire scene.
Identify and prevent all unknown threats as deployment of cyber attackers continue involving new exploits for day zero and developing variants for new ransomware. These new developed variants are beyond and could bypass legacy security controls for they are new and not based on prior knowledge. To avoid this, analyze all files and identify them based on malicious content and their behavior. You have to reprogram automatically their security infrastructure with new prevention mechanisms to cover both potential attack venues.
Be educated about Ransomware and how to prevent its occurrence. Attacks are untargeted but it easily infects your system through bulk phishing emails or drive-by downloads. It is important to disseminate information to PC owners. It costs money to hire IT teams or security consultants works to recover the encrypted files.
Use Plan B if your PC gets infected to find the means to reduce the damage done. Experts claimed the most efficient best way to restore data files infected by ransomware is to recover them from prior backups. Do this after removing the virus, do thorough cleansing of your system and ascertain your previous backups have no infection.
Be certain that your disaster Plan B recovery strategy plan has a backup that ensures you that the right backup data sets are all available: in the correct place at the correct time so that you will be able reduce potential losses of profits, productivity or reputation.
Finally, fight those bay guys by using these preventive startegies. You do not need to pay as these methods prevent your files from being encrypted. Making ransom payment is discouraged by all law enforcement agencies as this is like a motivation for criminals to earn more from ransom attacks. Also, it does not follow that by paying you will recover the locked data of your PC.