It's Not Worth Paying the Ransom Better Protect Yourself by Antivirus

It is not necessary to become a victim of ransomware. Below given protection tips will help you maintain control over your personal files and information.

Of course, this is a real nightmare: a virus infiltrates your computer and blocks access to your most valuable files. The message demanding the ransom on the screen, as a rule, also indicates the limited period during which the cybercriminals must be paid. Otherwise, the ransomware promises to destroy the files or increase the ransom amount.

This is just one of the ransomware attack patterns. There are a number of variants of this type of malware, including a virus that locks down the entire computer, leaving only a message with payment information. There are also cases when fraudsters copy personal data with the help of an encryptor and threaten to publish this information. There are also just empty threats when attackers scare their victims without actually causing any harm to their computer.

Ransomware is becoming more widespread. Over the past years, the news flashed stories about the largest cyber-epidemic of the ransomware virus WannaCry, as well as the recent attack by the ransomware Petya, which fell victim to large private and state enterprises in Ukraine and Russia. In less than half a day, the virus spread from India to Spain before being stopped and neutralized.

What if you are a victim of ransomware? No way to pay. You can be nudged by any means to pay the ransom.

Three Reasons Why It's Not Worth Paying the Ransom

• There is no guarantee that your files will be restored. Remember, promises are made by criminals. They cannot be trusted. One in five of those who pay the ransom does not get their files back.
• Payment encourages fraudsters to commit new cybercrimes. Once they receive a ransom, attackers are even more likely to continue extorting money from innocent people. But if you deprive attackers of the benefits of their actions, they will have no reason to do them.
• Most likely, free tools are already available that can remove the ransomware. You may be able to recover your files yourself. Free ransomware removal and file decryption tools will help you with this, especially if they have been blocked by a known virus.

Protect Yourself and Your Device by Preventing an Attack

As attacks continue to skyrocket, anti-ransomware and malware removal tools are also improving. If you already have an antivirus that is equipped with tools to protect against these kinds of threats (such as the Ransomware Shield, which is available in Protegent Total Security Software), be sure to update it to the latest version. We also recommend that you update your device's operating s