Can Ransomware Be Prevented

Can Ransomware Be Prevented or Is It Just Old News? Have you been hearing about ransomware more recently than ever? If you have, it’s probably because it’s getting worse and worse. ESG Makers of Anti-Malware program SpyHunter, Has just released numbers that shows April was the worst month recorded for ransomware.

Why? Ransomware works, simple as that

Typically ransomware infects computer users with the destruction of data through encryption and if they don’t pay a ransom to the hackers who created the encryption, you mid as well say goodbye to your data.

Several high profile cases of ransomware have made national and international headlines in the last few weeks as infections have hit hospitals, school districts, Small Businesses and other governmental offices including police organizations.

Ransomware in April more than doubled the total from March

Ryan Gerding, Spokesperson for ESG said “The more people give in to the demands, the more encouraged the ransomware makers become”.

The company reports that from January to February there was 19.3 percent increase in the number of ransomware incidences detected, and February to March saw another increase of 9.4 percent. But the huge increase from March to April at 158.8 percent. Is going in the record books for sure. but you could still be asking yourself,

Can Ransomware Be Prevented or Is It Just Old News? Try This

1. Regularly backup your datat on an external device or to the cloud. That way, if you do get a ransomware infection, you can simply restore your data to the last time you saved it rather than paying the ransom or losing the files altogether. Ultimately, by having a backup of your system’s hard drive, you avoid putting yourself and your computer’s data at an unnecessary risk of being lost forever due to the utter destruction of ransomware.

2. Update your software is a must. Double check to make sure all of your operating system and anti-virus/anti-malware programs are set to update automatically.

3. Very important to think before you click an unknown link. Almost all of the ransomware infections attacking individual computers are a result of someone getting fooled into clicking.

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Who discovered it and can it affect you?

Are you one of the 250 million email accounts breached? Well Alex Holden, founder and chief information security officer of Hold Security found this discovery. Holden was previously in uncovering some of the world’s biggest known data breaches, affecting tens of millions of users at Adobe Systems, JPMorgan, and Target exposing them to subsequent cyber crimes.The latest discovery came after Hold Security researchers found a young Russian hacker bragging in an online forum that he had collected and was ready to give away a far larger number of stolen credentials that ended up around some 1.17 billion records.

Yahoo Mail credentials numbered 40 million, or 15% of the 272 million unique IDs discovered. Others, 33 million, or 12%, were Microsoft Hotmail accounts and 9%, or nearly 24 million, were Gmail, according to Holden. Holden says efforts to identify the hacker spreading the current data and sources of the stolen accounts would have exposed the investigative methods of his researchers and crew.

“This information is potent. It is floating around in the underground and this person has shown he’s willing to give the data away to people who are nice to him, and these credentials can be abused multiple times,” said Holden. But this still Begs the Question, Are you one of the 250 million email accounts breached?

What can you do?

• Change your passwords if you suspect that they may have been stolen,
• Change your passwords if you have any accounts that share the same password, and DON’T DO IT AGAIN
• Consider using two-factor authentication

If you would like more information on Security and Anti-Virus Software and like our recommendations, please contact us.

This IT Security Tech Tip brought to you by BlackBox Connections.

You Want Secure IT with Fast Response at the Best Price!
We are featured on Page 101 in the March ‘Business In Calgary’ magazine