10 Tips to Avoid Ransomware | Total Security

How to Avoid Ransomware

In the global threat landscape, ransomware has become one of the most popular and well-known among cybercriminals as it encrypts access to parts or entire files of the infected system, including videos, photos, and documents, requesting a ransom in exchange for the information.

The attack occurs stealthily so that users do not realize what is happening until it is too late. When the attack is carried out, the victim receives an alert telling them that their files have been encrypted and asks them to pay an exorbitant amount of money, usually in bitcoins, to recover it. Most ransomware victims are not highly knowledgeable or experienced in technology and generally follow the demands of attackers and pay to recover their data.

Ransomware has also become a major threat to companies of any type and size. From financial corporations, government agencies, and academic institutions, they can be the target of a ransomware attack.

In Latin America, Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia are the countries most affected by ransomware.

“Cybercriminals know that the user is the main access to corporate networks and the guardians of their own files and they take advantage of the fact that the majority click on viral videos and on links sent by social networks and email to spread an infection. For this reason, constant education about new digital threats, especially phishing, and the protection of endpoint equipment are essential ”.

To help raise awareness and promote good online usage practices among users, we have developed 10 security tips to protect our information from ransomware.

• Be sure to back up your files regularly. It is important to create two backups: one stored in the cloud (using Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.) and the other on a physical device (a portable hard drive, USB, another PC, etc.). Once your backup is ready, be sure to set certain restrictions on your files: your “plan B” device should only have read/write permission, without the option to modify or delete them.
• Periodically check that the backup is working. Check your backup files from time to time as accidental failure could cause damage.
• Cybercriminals often distribute fake emails, mimicking notifications from online stores or banks, inviting the user to click on malicious links, and distributing malware. This method is called phishing. To avoid this, check your anti-spam settings and never open attachments sent by unknown senders.
• Trust no one. Malicious links can be posted by your social media friends, your colleague, or your online video game partner, who may have been infected in some way by cybercriminals.
• Enable the option to "show file extensions" in your Windows settings. This will make it easier to distinguish potentially malicious files. Since Trojans are programs, you should pay attention and stay away from extensions like "exe", "vbs" and "scr". Cybercriminals can use various extensions to mask malicious files such as a video, photo, or document (such as hot-chics.avi.exe or report.doc.scr).
• Regularly update your operating system, browser, antimalware, and other programs. Cybercriminals tend to exploit vulnerabilities in software to compromise systems. A regular system, software, and application updates often fix flaws and vulnerabilities, increasing security.
• Use a robust anti-malware program to protect your system from ransomware such as multi-device Protegent360 Total Security, which in addition to preventing infections to your computer, protects files even if there is a threat infiltrating the system.
• If you discover a fraudulent or unknown process on your machine, disconnect the Internet immediately. If the ransomware fails to remove the encryption key from your computer, there is a chance it will restore your files. However, new versions of ransomware use a predefined key and can infect computers even if they are offline.
• If your files are encrypted, don't pay the ransom. Paying aid fuels this type of illegal business that can only move forward as long as people are willing to keep paying.
• If you've been infected by ransomware, try to find the name of the malware - it may be an old version and it can be relatively easy to restore your files. Ransomware used to be less advanced in previous years.