Considering all the types of malware existing online, only few of them are as malicious as Notorious ransomware. This ransomware can immediately lock down all your files and prevent you from accessing them. Besides, cyber criminals will add insult to injury by demanding a ransom for the safe return of your files. Is it possible to prevent businesses from this dangerous threat?
Ransomware is capable of destroying your business’s data by removing the access to important files. The threat encrypts the files stored on your computer, with more powerful variants being capable of spreading throughout your network infrastructure. If this happens, the only way to get your files decrypted is by paying the attackers to provide a decryption key.
Last year, ransomware caused users over $325 million damages, which makes it an exceptionally lucrative business for cyber criminals. Usually, ransomware infects systems through spam email attachments. Most often, the infection takes advantage of inexperienced PC users who download the infected file.
Ransomware infections use fear as their advantage. They rely on users reacting rashly to their hacking schemes. For instance, one type of ransomware may pose as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which may claim that the user has illegally downloaded copyrighted material or is in the possession of incriminating pornography.
Other ransomware may be disguised as members of local law enforcement, demanding a ransom in order to ensure the safe return of their files.
On the other hand, some ransomware will make no effort to hide their true intentions. Instead, they will openly demand the ransom to be paid, not caring whether users know that a cyber criminal is responsible for this. In any case, they want you to pay up, and if you don’t, the hackers will threaten to lock down your files for good.
CryptoLocker is one of the most popular ransomware infection. It acts like a typical ransomware – locks down files and demands a ransom for the decryption key. Usually, CryptoLocker must be paid in Bitcoin through the anonymous web browser, Tor, which makes it difficult for law enforcement to locate the criminal who set the scheme in motion.
CryptoWall is an even more dangerous version of CryptoLocker. It is capable of locking down the data on workstations and spreading across your entire network infrastructure, encrypting data and making it near impossible to recover. In other words, it takes one infected system to lock down your entire network.
In case like these, you wish to have all your files backed up somewhere safe where the ransomware can’t encrypt them. If your files aren’t backed up, you might feel like you have no choice but to pay the hackers for the decryption key.
In case you’ve been infected by ransomware, and you’re considering just forking over the ransom, it’s important to know that you should never pay the ransom. Just imagine you’ve paid the ransom, and the decryption key doesn’t work, or the hackers refuse to hand it over.
In any case, if you ever do get infected with ransomware, you should contact trusted professionals who are skilled with working with technology and online threats. Nevertheless, it does need to be mentioned that the likelihood that your data is recoverable, without having it backed up, is slim at best.
Most types of ransomware use powerful encryption protocol which is difficult to crack, and there is no guarantee that even the most tech-savvy IT technician can unlock your data. Instead, you should take full advantage of powerful security solutions to avoid getting hit with ransomware, threats, and user errors in the first place. Also, keep in mind that spam-blocking solutions can prevent phishing emails from finding solace in your email inbox, and having a strong firewall and antivirus solution can help you defeat threats that you encounter.
