Scam of the Day

I have been warning you about the dangers of ransomware for eight years.  Ransomware is a type of malware that when downloaded encrypts and make unavailable all of the data on your computer.  Once this occurs the criminals then threaten to destroy the data if a ransom is not 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.  One of the most recent ransomware attacks started on May 3rd against the City of Dallas  As a result of the attack, the Dallas government has had many of its services unavailable as well as sensitive data stolen.

For the last eight 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.  Some cybercriminals have changed their tactics in regard to ransomware.  In 2020 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.  We are now seeing about 10% of ransomware attacks involve the making public of data accessed by the cybercriminals.

It is important to note that although major ransomware attacks against companies and governmental agencies have been newsworthy,  a ransomware attack is also a very real threat to ordinary people.

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.

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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