How to Protect Yourself Against Ransomware | Free Antivirus Software

No problem is currently discussed as intensely as ransomware. Hardly a day goes by without a company's IT system or a private computer not being encrypted by criminals with this special form of computer virus. Every time the result is the same: the victims are blackmailed with a high ransom demand. The problem is so acute that even serious media have been reporting more and more on the topic in recent weeks because many ransomware variants cannot even be decrypted by security experts and the users concerned are facing serious problems. But protecting against ransomware is actually quite simple if you follow a few simple tips.

In this article, we present the most important tips on how to protect yourself against ransomware.

Ransomware Functionality For Dummies: How Does It Work?

Ransomware is malware that, once activated, encrypts all data on a computer or network. The virus spreads from one file to another and throughout the connected network until eventually every file on the system is encrypted. Until recently - and until the other ransomware variants from the scene implemented the new method described below - ransomware, as soon as it was activated, established a connection via the Internet to a so-called command and control server (C & C server), which created a unique key for the actual encryption of each specific victim (computer/server). In some cases, the ransomware is fooling the user by displaying a message window with a fake warning forcing the user to press a button so that the actual encryption can begin. Newer versions, on the other hand, are activated simply by opening the file. The latest discovery comes from Avira claiming to have found a new variant of Locky ransomware that is supposed to run on autopilot. This should mean that a C&C server connection is no longer required to generate a key that encrypts the files. In this case, the criminals only create a simple public key for all victims, which means that they no longer need a huge server infrastructure and thus minimize the risk of being discovered, which makes the threat even more dangerous.

Six Simple Tips on How to Protect from Ransomware

1. Don't Open Attachments to Emails if You're Not Sure Who It Is From - one of the most common ways to get infected with ransomware is to open an email attachment. Therefore, always make sure that you are the real recipient of the e-mail and that the attachment is actually addressed to you. If you are not sure that you are the right addressee, do not hesitate to use the phone, call the sender and ask if the document is really intended for you. If it doesn't and you get the email at work, contact your IT security department right away so your company can minimize the risk of infection.
2. Don't Visit Suspicious Websites - Some websites can be dangerous and harmful, so use extra caution when browsing the World Wide Web. Dubious websites like porn, games, file sharing and others with malicious information and "free" file downloads may contain ransomware hidden under web banners or other scripts or within the website. If you have to visit such a website, for example, because you are a journalist, be aware that you may be at risk and that you should protect yourself with the most modern anti-virus software available on the market. Do not click unnecessary banners to avoid infection.
3. Always Keep Your Computer System and Software up To Date -Computer criminals are looking for easy ways to hijack or infect your own and corporate computers and servers. To make it difficult for potential attackers, you should close exploits (security holes) in your applications and in your operating system by regularly downloading and installing security updates and patches. The same goes for updates to internet surfing free antivirus software and other security tools to help keep your computer safe. The more often you download and install updates, the more secure you are. Many of the great antivirus software tools that scan incoming emails in real-time can at least detect many of the known ransomware viruses and protect you from opening them.
4. Keep Your Passwords and Your Entire Computer System Secure - Some ransomware is not spread through email, but rather through traditional hacking and password stealing. If a person's password (s) is stolen and hacked, the criminal can gain access to the computer and infect it with ransomware. If the Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is allowed, the problem is even more serious: the ransomware can easily spread from one computer to another using this protocol. So if RDP is not absolutely necessary in your company or small business, have this feature disabled immediately!
5. Shut Down All Network Connections - If you suspect something is wrong and you feel that you are or will be infected, immediately disconnect your computer from the Internet or WiFi and from your network! In this way - and only if you act quickly and intelligently - you can mitigate the damage caused by such a ransomware attack. Since the purpose of a ransomware attack is to encrypt data, holding it hostage in exchange for money, and since the encryption takes time, the chances are that if you act fast enough, the chances are minimal of data to be infected. Also, the ransomware virus cannot spread over the network to infect other drives within the company.
6. Always Have an Up-To-Date Backup Available - One of the easiest ways to protect yourself against the consequences of a ransomware attack and to make it difficult for criminals is to have an up-to-date backup of all files available. There are several backup products and systems on the market for all types of users - home, small and medium-sized, and large businesses. Regardless of the size of the computer system, it is important to have a decent backup plan in place. The main part of such a plan is deciding what time periods the backup solution should back up (s). The less time there is between backups, the fewer data can be lost due to ransomware encryption.

If your data is infected by new ransomware, and you don't have an up-to-date backup of your files and are unable to find a decryption tool for that particular type of ransomware, your only chance is to recovery Data to consult a data recovery service provider.

Special data recovery experts such as Unistal System as well as data security companies track the various ransomware variants that are on the scene and develop special tools or workarounds to restore infected files or entire storage systems. In many cases, the experts have found ways to recover the data infected by the most common types of ransomware. So if you have been the victim of an attack, it is a good idea to give the experts a chance. You may pay more to get your data back, but you're definitely not helping criminals by doing so.