I have been warning you about the dangers of ransomware for five years, but today’s ransomware story has a different twist to it.  Ransomware is the name for malware that once installed on a computer, often unwittingly through clicking on links in spear phishing emails, encrypts and locks all of the victim’s data. The cybercriminal who sent the ransomware then threatens to destroy the data unless a bounty is paid. Ransomware attacks have been made against government agencies, companies and individuals.  Like all forms of malware, ransomware must be downloaded on to your computer in order to cause problems.  This is generally done by luring people to click on links or download infected attachments contained in spear phishing emails.

For the last five years protection from ransomware has focused on backing up your data daily so that if you do become a ransomware victim, you do not feel compelled to pay the ransom because your data has been protected.  However, recently,  some cybercriminals have changed their tactics in regard to ransomware.  Recently the University of Utah announced that it had paid $457,059 to cybercriminals who used ransomware to attack the University’s computers and encrypt its data.  What was unusual about this was the fact that the University of Utah had backed up all of its data and was in no danger of losing the data if it did not pay the ransom.  However, in a relatively new tactic that has been employed against law firms and others recently, the cybercriminals threatened to make public the sensitive information they stole if a ransom was not paid.

TIPS

Because ransomware attacks as well as most other types of malware attacks are spread through phishing emails that lure unsuspecting people into clicking on malware infected links or downloading attachments tainted with malware, you should never click on links in emails  or download attachments unless you have absolutely confirmed that the email is legitimate.  Ransomware attacks are not limited to cities and large institutions.  They are also used to attack individuals and extort money from them.

You also should update all of your electronic devices with the latest security updates and patches as soon as they become available, preferably automatically.  Many past ransomware attacks exploited vulnerabilities for which patches had already been issued.   The No More Ransom Project has a website that provides decryption tools for some of the older versions of ransomware that are still being used.  Here is a link to their website  https://www.nomoreransom.org/en/decryption-tools.html  It is important, however, to remove the ransomware before downloading and using the decryption tools.  This can be done using readily available antivirus software.  It is also important to remember that even if you have the most up to date security software on your computer and phone, it will not protect you from the latest zero day defect malware which is malware that exploits previously undiscovered vulnerabilities.

Another precaution you should follow is to regularly back up all of your data on at least two different platforms, such as in the Cloud and on a portable hard drive.  However, this will not protect you from a ransomware attack that threatens to make public your data, so everyone should truly focus on not just protecting data in the event of a ransomware attack, but on preventing such attacks through security software and training to recognize phishing and spear phishing emails.

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