Today I want to talk about Ransomware.
…unfortunately, yes, it’s a real thing!
So lets start with what it is. So imagine you turn on your computer, and this is what you see?
Probably not something you want to wake up to in the morning. But unfortunately its happening to small businesses.
It could look like the screenshot we just showed you or something similar. But in general there will be a note that will say all your data and files on the computer have been encrypted. And the only way to unlock the system is to pay a ransom in a certain amount of time.
Obviously, this is not a fun experience for businesses to go through.
And like all cyber threats, this is something you should be actively aware of and prepared for.
So what can you do to protect yourself?
First, be careful what sites you go to and what attachments you download. For both you and your employees, its important to never download an attachment from a recipient they don’t know or trust!
Backup your data – so of course, if ransomware inflicts your computer, you are not going to have access to your data. So its important for you to backup your data so you have an extra copy to keep your business going.
It is also recommended to use ad-blocking software – some websites actually have advertisements on their sites that are infected with malicious software and viruses. So it could be beneficial to use ad-blocking software when you and your employees are surfing the internet.
And of course, as we’ve talked about in the past, buying and maintaining anti-virus software is a must. Many of these actively scan for ransomware or related types of intrusions and work to remove or prevent them from ever entering your system.
Welcome to the weird world of Cyber Crime. See you soon